On 21 November, Dr. Ksenia Radchenkova was awarded the Konfuzius Institute Graz Prize for the Best Dissertation for her thesis “The Concept of Sovereignty in Political and Legal Discourse in Russia and China.”
Dr. Radchenkova’s dissertation examines the evolution of the concept of sovereignty across Europe, Russia, and China. It traces how Russia and China engaged with, transplanted, and responded to European conceptual developments, while simultaneously drawing on their own historical and philosophical traditions. In Russia, the legacy of samoderzhavie and imperial political thought shaped a distinctive trajectory, whereas in China, classical ideas associated with Great Unity informed alternative understandings of central political authority.
By analysing the divergent genealogies of the sovereignty concept, the dissertation demonstrates how both states, while influenced by European debates, developed independent conceptual frameworks. In doing so, Dr. Radchenkova contributes to a deeper understanding of how non-Western intellectual traditions inform contemporary discussions on political authority and the foundations of international order.
We warmly congratulate Dr. Radchenkova on this achievement.