Robert Jenkins

Robert M. Jenkins serves as Teaching Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he specializes in comparative politics. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1987) and a B.S. in Sociology-Social Work from Illinois State University (1975). His research interests include security policy, international organizations, social and political change, ethnic conflict, nationalism, and state building. A long-time specialist in Central and Eastern Europe, he also possesses expertise in the successor states to the Soviet Union, South Africa, and the European Union. Jenkins' current research examines the social bases of populism in post-communist Europe and international intervention into the post-conflict Western Balkans.

Prior to UNC, Jenkins was Assistant Professor of Sociology at Yale University (1987-1995). He joined UNC in 2006 as Lecturer, became Senior Lecturer in 2011, and Teaching Professor in 2017. He directed the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies (2001-2015) and the M.A. in Russian and East European Studies (1999-2015). Notable publications include “Labor Markets and Economic Transition in Post-Communist Europe” (2001, Sourcebook on Labor Markets), “The Role of the Hungarian Nonprofit Sector in Post-Communist Social Policy” (1999, Social Policy and Left Parties in Post-Communist Europe), “Politics and the Development of the Hungarian Nonprofit Sector” (1995, Voluntas), and “Two Modes of Economic Coordination in Hungary: Consequences for Careers” (1990, Eastern European Politics and Societies). Jenkins has led study abroad programs in Brussels and London, the Balkans, and Cape Town, South Africa, supervised numerous theses, and serves as Internship Coordinator. He received a National Science Foundation grant for research on conflict behavior and has given public lectures, including the Finch Lecture at Miami University (2018) on state capture in Russia, Hungary, and South Africa.

Professional Email: rjenkins@unc.edu