# Security Studies

Read student research and essays on Security Studies within Social Sciences, published openly on VersitySpot with author profiles and peer feedback.

- [Gendered Frontlines: Men, Women, and the Politics of Protection in the Russia-Ukraine War, 2022-2026](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-j8rx-rcxn-saxu) — This thesis argues that dominant narratives of female victimhood and male agency obscure the real gender architecture of the Russia-Ukraine war — from the male-predominant pattern of sexual violence in detention to women's exclusion from peace talks — all flowing from a single protection order that the Women, Peace and Security agenda is failing to address.
- [Ceasefire Without Peace: Escalation, Legality, and the Collapse of Non-Proliferation in the Israel–United States–Iran Conflict](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-rb7u-5cb4-6d53) — The essay argues that the 2026 war was the predictable endpoint of a coercion-only strategy pursued since the 2018 JCPOA withdrawal, with force twice deployed mid-negotiation in breach of the UN Charter. The campaign proved self-defeating: it consolidated the regime, left the nuclear programme unmonitored, and strengthened the proliferation logic it was meant to destroy.
- [Networks, Systems, and Temporary Protection: Drivers of Mobility and Policy Trade-offs in the EU–Ukraine Migration Crisis](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-ndg4-zf22-cbc6) — The EU's response to the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War was, by almost any measure, a success, and therein lies its problem: an instrument built for speed was never redesigned for permanence, and millions of Ukrainians now live in the legal uncertainty that followed.
- [Political Orientation and Institutional Trust: A Quantitative Analysis of Systematic Differences](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-r32a-93mq-h3eu) — This paper investigates whether political orientation influences trust in state institutions like the police, military, and legal system. Through survey data, the researchers demonstrate that right-leaning individuals generally report higher institutional trust than their left-leaning counterparts.
- [The Complexities of DDR: Identifying Challenges and Possibilities in Post-Conflict Societies](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-r8kf-sh86-wyxs) — This paper analyses how DDR programs often fail to secure long-term stability due to inadequate funding, restrictive admission criteria, and the systemic exclusion of women and girls, arguing that more inclusive and well-resourced strategies are essential for achieving sustainable, positive peace.
- [Geopolitics and Regional Integration: The Impacts of the BRI in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan](https://versityspot.com/amid/am-h6de-29js-4cgx) — China’s Belt and Road Initiative is turning Central Asia into a global transit hub. Kazakhstan currently leads as a strategic "Eurasian hub," but Uzbekistan is rapidly modernizing its industry and workforce. Despite economic growth, challenges like inequality and weak labor rights persist. However, Uzbekistan’s focus on human capital and reform may soon shift the regional balance of power.