Dr Luba Zatsepina
Humanities and Social Science
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: L.Zatsepina@ljmu.ac.uk
Luba joined Liverpool John Moores University as a Lecturer in International Relations & Politics in January 2023. Previously, she held a lecturing position at the University of Edinburgh and a research position with the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy team at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), where her work focused on Russian strategic culture and nuclear arms control.
Luba’s research interests centre on nuclear politics, particularly in the UK and the Soviet Union/Russia. Her work follows two main strands. The first examines Soviet nuclear weapons policy during the Cold War, with an emphasis on the discursive constructions of nuclear identity. The second explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in nuclear command and control and its implications for deterrence theorising. She is currently investigating Russia’s evolving understanding of deterrence and the future role of AI in its nuclear command and control systems. Additionally, she is an invited participant in the Australian National University’s project, Anticipating the Future of War: AI, Automated Systems, and Resort-to-Force Decision Making.
Luba is a co-convenor of the BISA Global Nuclear Order working group and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. She also holds a PG cert in Academic Practice.
In 2024/25 Luba leads on the following modules:
L5: Debating International Relations Theories
L5: Politics in Practice
L7: The War/Peace Cycle
L4: Being Politically Engaged
Languages
English
Russian
Degrees
2020, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, PhD in Politics
2013, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, MSc in Global Social Change
Academic appointments
Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, Liverpool John Moores University, 2023 - present
Lecturer in International Relations, University of Edinburgh, 2022 - 2023
Tutor/Senior Tutor in Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh, 2014 - 2022
Journal article
Zatsepina L. 2025. Transforming Discourse, Driving Change: Gendered Nuclear Identities and the Soviet Union’s Shift to Disarmament in the 1980s Millennium : Journal of International Studies, :1-28 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Other invited event:
Canberra, Australia, Invited participant, a 3-day academic Workshop and a policy round-table., Anticipating the Future of War: AI, Automated Systems, and Resort-to-Force Decision. 2024
Conference presentation:
Round-table, Birmingham, British International Studies Association Annual Conference 2024, The Nexus of Artificial Intelligence and Critical Security Studies: Current Issues and Future Research Trajectories. 2024
Oral presentation, Glasgow, BISA Annual Conference, Transforming discourse, driving change: The Soviet Union’s shift to arms control and nuclear stockpile reduction in the 1980s. 2023
Round-table participant, Newcastle, UK, BISA Annual Conference, ‘Un-Siloing’ nuclear weapons in an age of pandemic, climate crisis and global injustice: On the need to connect existential threats. 2022
Oral presentation, Online, BISA Global Nuclear Order Working Group Annual Conference, Russian Strategic Culture: Implications for Arms Control Futures. 2021
Oral presentation, Online, ISA Northeast Annual Conference, 'Duelling National Exceptionalisms in the Age of Anxiety: The Country Prepared for any Contingency meets the Shining City upon the Hill', with Andrew Hom. 2021
Oral presentation, Online, The Future of Nuclear Disarmament Workshop, Implementing Change: A Feminist Discourse Analysis of Nuclear Weapons in the Soviet Union. 2021
Oral presentation, Online, BISA Global Nuclear Order Working Group Annual Conference, The Relevance of Identity Constructions to Understanding Nuclear Policies of States: A Poststructuralist Gender-mindful Approach. 2020
Award:
Gray Scholarship Award for outstanding efforts in teaching. 2019
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: 1 year, Grant value (£): 5000, LJMU Early/Mid-Career and Research Developing Staff Grant, The Nexus of Artificial Intelligence and Critical Security Studies: Unveiling Conundrums and Pioneering Trajectories for Future Research.