Berlin and Kyiv: On 24 July 2025, Ukraine Foundation and the Professional Government Association of Ukraine co-hosted an Expresso online session with Professor Theocharis N. Grigoriadis, our Distinguished Senior Fellow for Eastern European Affairs and Economics. The event, “Political Economy of Food Security: Evidence from Ukrainian & Russian Wheat Exports to Africa”published with the Kyiv School of Economics, Free University Berlin, and the European University of Viadrina.

Presenting  his groundbreaking study co-authored with Pavlo Martyshev, Oleg Nivievskyi, and Ivan Kolodiazhnyi under the auspices of the Kyiv School of Economics, Free University Berlin, and the European University of Viadrina, Professor Grigoriadis discussed new evidence on the dynamics of grain exports and their geopolitical implications. He highlighted how the full-scale war in Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, with Africa—heavily dependent on Ukrainian and Russian wheat—emerging as a focal point in the weaponization of grain trade.

The presentation unpacked the political and economic strategies at play in the global wheat market and emphasized what Ukraine must do to restore competitiveness while countering Russia’s manipulation of food insecurity as a geopolitical tool. Participants engaged with Professor Grigoriadis in an interactive Q&A, exploring practical ways for policymakers, agribusiness leaders, and researchers to address vulnerabilities in food security.

This session pursued our joint Expresso series with the Professional Government Association of Ukraine and underscored our commitment to advancing rigorous, policy-relevant research that not only addresses Ukraine’s challenges but also contributes to solving critical global issues at the intersection of economics, security, and geopolitics.

About Pr. Theocharis Grigoriadis

Professor Theocharis N. Grigoriadis holds the W-2 Professor position with tenure at Freie Universität Berlin’s Department of Economics and Institute of East European Studies, where he has served since 2014.

A prolific researcher, Professor Grigoriadis has authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals including the Journal of Economic History, European Economic Review, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and China Economic Review. His research spans diverse topics from the political economy of religious institutions to energy economics, climate change, and regional development. His book “Religion & Comparative Development: The Genesis of Democracy & Dictatorship” (Edward Elgar, 2018) exemplifies his innovative approach to understanding the deep historical roots of modern economic and political systems.

Currently, he is completing two major monographs: “Muscovy as New Byzantium: Imperial Political Economies & Orthodox Systems in Ivan IV. the Terrible” and “Spies & Revolutionaries: Imperial Russia’s Foreign Intelligence & the Defense of National Security,” which demonstrate his expertise in Russian imperial history and its contemporary relevance.

Professor Grigoriadis has secured over €1.5 million in competitive research funding from prestigious agencies including the German Research Foundation (DFG), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the European Commission. He serves as Program Director for multiple international partnerships, including the “Integrated Master of Science in Economic Systems” with the University of Belgrade and various German-foreign university collaborations spanning Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and other Eastern European nations.

His extensive international network includes affiliations with the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy, American University of Beirut, and research fellowships at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and Sabancı University’s Istanbul Policy Center. He has supervised over 150 completed theses at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, mentoring the next generation of scholars in economics and area studies.

Beyond academia, Professor Grigoriadis contributes to policy through advisory roles with international organizations including the Open Society Foundations and UN Economic & Social Commission of Western Asia. His expertise in energy economics, climate policy, and post-conflict development has informed policy discussions from the Middle East to Central Asia.

Professor Grigoriadis holds multiple doctoral degrees from leading institutions: a PhD in Political Science from UC Berkeley (2012), a PhD in Economics from Saint Petersburg State University (2012), and is currently completing a PhD in Slavic Literatures and Cultures at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. His educational foundation includes an MA in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University (2005) and an LLM from the University of Athens (2007). This interdisciplinary background uniquely positions him at the intersection of economics, political science, and cultural studies.

Fluent in eight languages including Greek, English, German, Russian, and Ukrainian, Professor Grigoriadis embodies the international perspective essential for understanding complex economic transitions and development patterns across cultures and political systems. His work bridges rigorous quantitative analysis with deep historical and cultural understanding, making him a leading voice in comparative economics and the study of institutional development in transition economies.

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Kostiantyn Lisnychyi.