Announcing the 2026 Statecraft and Imagination Fellows

Delphi Global Research Center is proud to welcome the first group of participants of the Fellowship Program for Emerging Ukrainian Leaders.

In an era of unprecedented global volatility, the need for clear-eyed, realistic, and rigorous geopolitical vision has never been more vital. This six-month fellowship program is designed to move beyond the "waves of despair and hope" that often characterize wartime discourse and instead ground the emerging Ukrainian leaders in the Western tradition of analytical and imaginative rigor.

The fellowship program ultimately aims to help Ukraine build a “deep bench” of professionals capable of navigating complex geopolitical dynamics.  By exposing Fellows to Western modes of argumentation and critical thinking, and by familiarizing them with Western audience expectations, the program seeks to lay a foundation of rigorous analytic techniques and best practices. Further, the program’s unique focus on the role of imagination in statecraft and strategic analysis will expose Fellows to novel modes of engaging the world’s most intractable geopolitical problems.

The fellowship consists of a three-part curriculum. This includes two months of online meetings and guided readings in fiction, literary criticism, history and policy analysis intended to kick-start Fellows’ thinking about strategic imagination. The fellowship is anchored by a two-week intensive residency in Washington, DC, featuring daily instruction in analytic techniques and creative statecraft from US government experts, academics, and NGO leaders. The residency will be co-hosted by the ASU Barrett and O’Connor Center in Washington, DC. The final part of the fellowship will span four months and consist of a post-residency mentorship period - structured individual mentorship and group calls to implement follow-on projects within home institutions.

The course is led by Delphi Global Senior Fellow and Imagination in Statecraft Program Director Mr. Sean Murray. Mr. Murray has more than 12 years of experience as a diplomat and intelligence analyst focusing primarily on Ukraine, Russia, the Baltics and the Western Balkans.  He has been posted in Vilnius, Moscow, the U.K., and Washington, D.C., and is a winner of the State Department's Superior Honor Award and DoD's Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, as well as a Fulbright research fellowship.

Introducing the 2026 “Imagination In Statecraft” Fellows at Delphi Global Research Center 

Anna Nishnianidze is the co-founder and CEO of Philanthropy in Ukraine, a platform that strengthens Ukraine’ s civil society sector through NGO verification and donor due diligence. Under her leadership, the platform has verified 400+ organizations and facilitated over €13 million in international funding. Trained in law and government relations, she has extensive experience in strategic communications, nonprofit development, and civil society advocacy. Anna is committed to building the institutional capacity Ukraine needs to lead and thrive in the future. LinkedIn

Justin Esiobu is a diplomat at Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs specializing in interstate litigation and international legal accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. He works on advancing the International Compensation Mechanism, the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, and legal frameworks related to immobilized Russian sovereign assets. His work includes coordinating international outreach and cooperation across multiple regions to support Ukraine’s legal initiatives. Trained in law, Justin has also been active in civil society and humanitarian efforts, including co-founding Ukraine Direct Aid to support active and wounded service members and their families LinkedIn

Dr Olha Mukha is a cultural analyst, curator, researcher, and cultural diplomacy practitioner whose work spans Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Europe. She specializes in cultural diplomacy, memory studies, public history, and democratic resilience, collaborating with academic, cultural, and civil society institutions. Her research focuses on culture and heritage in times of war and on strengthening Ukraine’s representation in international intellectual and cultural spaces. She also leads interdisciplinary cultural initiatives, including projects documenting nonviolent resistance in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. LinkedIn

Hlib Dolianovskyi is a military interpreter, defense technology consultant, and security analyst working across Ukraine and Europe on NATO-supported training programs. He advises European and Ukrainian mil-tech companies on UAV and defense innovation,while also supporting military training and international cooperation through interpretation and translation. As a columnist and analyst, he writes on security, geopolitics, and armed conflict for French publications. His background combines defense technology, international relations, and public policy, with experience in humanitarian initiatives and youth leadership programs supporting Ukraine’s development.

Anton Tarasyuk is a Ukrainian AI entrepreneur  and Co-Founder of Mantis Analytics, an AI-powered platform that helps governments and institutions assess geopolitical and security risks. His work focuses on intelligence analysis, information operations, and the impact of emerging technologies on decision-making. With experience across Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, he combines expertise in technology, policy, and security to deliver actionable insights in complex environments. Linkedin

Alysa Lytvynova is an Advisor to Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Dariia Marchak on reform priorities. She works on economic reform and the country's long-term development strategy through 2040. Alysa also manages initiatives promoting public sector reform and serves on the board of the Professional Government Association of Ukraine. With a background in global affairs, technology, and public service, she is committed to strengthening Ukraine’s institutions and policymaking capacity.  Linkedin

Roman Vydro is an engineering leader and social entrepreneur focused on technology, civic systems, and public-sector collaboration. He co-founded Garage Hub and has led R&D efforts developing technological solutions for government partners since the start of the full-scale war. His work centers on building practical systems under challenging conditions and connecting grassroots technical communities ( drone builders) with state institutions.

Alina Zubkovych (PhD in Social Studies, 2015) is a defense policy expert specializing in Nordic-Ukrainian strategic cooperation. She serves as the Chairperson of the Nordic Ukraine Forum in Sweden and as Academic Director at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). Alina combines academic expertise with high-level government relations, authoring security analytics for think tanks such as the Atlantic Council and SCEEUS. Linkedin