Samuel Charap Named Inaugural Distinguished Chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at RAND

Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at RAND, will serve as the inaugural Distinguished Chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy at the nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. The Distinguished Chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy will further enhance RAND's analysis of the region and of the impact of Moscow's actions on the larger geopolitical landscape.

“Sam's deep expertise in Russia, its neighbors, as well as U.S. policy toward the region aligns perfectly with our ambitious goals for this position,” said RAND President and CEO Jason Matheny. “I'm confident that he will push forward a bold research agenda that helps policymakers better understand the complexities of the region and drives important contributions to U.S. foreign policy.”

At RAND, Charap's research has addressed Russia's challenge to U.S. interests, key trends in the broader region, and recommendations for U.S. policy. Since February 2022, he has published extensively on the implications of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including Avoiding a Long War, a widely read report coauthored by Miranda Priebe, and An Unwinnable War, a commentary originally published in Foreign Affairs.

Prior to joining RAND in 2017, Charap was the senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has served at the U.S. State Department as a senior advisor to the undersecretary for arms control and international security, and on the secretary's policy planning staff. He holds a master's degree in Russian and East European studies and a doctorate in political science from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar.

The RAND Distinguished Chair in Russia and Eurasia Policy was funded by a gift from the Stand Together Trust.