Political Scientist · PhD
Trajche Panov
Comparative Politics · Digital Democracy · Applied Data Science
Political Scientist · PhD
Comparative Politics · Digital Democracy · Applied Data Science
About
I am a political scientist specialising in comparative politics, voting behaviour, democratic representation, and applied social data science. My work examines how ordinary citizens engage with — or withdraw from — political life, and what that means for the quality of democracy.
My doctoral research at the European University Institute asked why voters disengage when parties shift their ideological positions. Since then, I have expanded into digital democracy, studying how Internet access and skills shape political participation and the relationship between voters and elected representatives.
I have held academic positions at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Padova, the University of Bergen, and visiting fellowships at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center and New York University. My monograph Digital Inequalities and Democratic Representation is forthcoming with Palgrave Macmillan.
Beyond academia, I have led Voting Advice Application projects for European and national elections, authored governance reports for the Bertelsmann Transformation Index, and remain active in civic organisations in North Macedonia and the broader European academic community.
Academic Positions
2024–2025
Teaching Fellow in Applied Social Data Science
Department of Political Science, Trinity College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
2022–2024
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Political Sciences, Law and International Studies (SPGI), Università degli Studi di Padova
Padova, Italy
2021–2022
Researcher
Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen
Bergen, Norway · PI: Prof. Leiv Marsteintredet
2017–2021
Postdoctoral Fellow — 'Politics of Inequality'
Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen (Trond Mohn Foundation)
Bergen, Norway · PI: Prof. Yvette Peters
2017–2018
Visiting Research Fellow
Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University
Cambridge, MA, USA
2015–2016
Research Assistant (with teaching obligations)
Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute
Florence, Italy
2014–2017
Instructor, Master of Arts Program in EU Policy Studies
James Madison University
Florence, Italy
2013
Visiting Scholar
Wilf Family Department of Politics, New York University
New York, NY, USA
Education
2011–2016
PhD in Political and Social Sciences
European University Institute · Florence, Italy
"Who Stops Voting and Why? Party Ideology Shift and Voter Demobilisation"
Committee: Alexander H. Trechsel (supervisor), Hanspeter Kriesi, Jonathan Nagler, Levente V. Littvay
2010–2011
Master of Research
European University Institute · Florence, Italy
2008–2009
Master of Arts in Political Science
Central European University · Budapest, Hungary
Additional Certificate in Electoral Politics
2002–2006
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Faculty of Law "Iustinianus Primus", University "St. Cyril and Methodius" · Skopje, North Macedonia
GPA: 9.88/10 · Golden Goddess of Justice Award for best student
Publications
Monograph
Digital Inequalities and Democratic Representation – Voters and Representatives in the Age of the Internet under contract
Peer-reviewed journal articles
2025Varieties of Ecosocial Policies in the EU: The Case of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans
2020The Shades of Communism: The Bases of Political Divisions in the Republic of Macedonia
2016Maintaining a Hybrid Regime: The Case of Macedonia
Book chapters
2026Democracy and Political Parties in North Macedonia forthcoming
2014Does bad or worse make a difference? Economic voting in Western Balkan Countries
Work in progress
Candidates versus Parties – The (In)stability of Citizens' Evaluations: Experimental Approach
Presidential Discourse and Institutional Power in North Macedonia: A Quantitative Text Analysis of Parliamentary Addresses (1991–2025)
Same Name, Different Trajectories: Ideological Divergence and Dynamic Hybridisation in Post-Yugoslav Left Parties
Teaching
Trinity College Dublin 2024–2025
Università degli Studi di Padova 2023
University of Bergen 2019, 2022
James Madison University, Florence 2014–2017
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf 2014
Student Voices
This was the first class where I really got everything and felt free to ask questions and to participate in discussion.
Student · Università degli Studi di Firenze, 2014
I really enjoyed his lessons. The teacher was enthusiastic and motivated us. The overall attitude and preparation of the teacher motivated the class and made us more interested in the topic.
Student · Università degli Studi di Firenze, 2014
Trajche has been by far the most accommodating, helpful, influential, and caring professor I have ever had. He truly cared about his students and made several sacrifices for our benefit. Truly a life-changer.
Student · James Madison University, Florence, 2014
Teaching Fellow is very nice, always tries to be helpful and supportive. Good time is given for exercises — there is no pressure to hurry.
Student · Trinity College Dublin, 2025
Mr Panov is one of the most talented lecturers I have met during my studies so far. Not only does he have an impressive knowledge on every topic, but also shows great passion for this job. His patience knows no end.
Student · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 2014
My congratulations to Professor Panov. Amazing. It was a pleasure to listen to his lectures.
Student · Università degli Studi di Firenze, 2014
Beyond Academia
Travelling
57 countries across all inhabited continents — driven by a deep curiosity for culture, history, art, and the gastronomic traditions of each place. Travel, for me, is another form of fieldwork: an encounter with the world in its full complexity.
Cooking
I am a keeper of traditions — Macedonian and Balkan recipes passed down from my mother, alongside the flavours I absorbed in Italian trattorias over years in Florence. Cooking is both memory and pleasure.
Poetry
I write poetry in Macedonian — a private practice that goes beyond what academic language can hold. Grief is a recurring presence in my poems, but so is everything that reaches past it: a language for the feelings that belong only to oneself.
Skills
Languages
Computational & Statistical
EUI Alumni Association
2025–present
Vice-President
EUI Alumni Association, European University Institute
2023–2025
Treasurer
EUI Alumni Association, European University Institute
Contact
Open to collaborations,
speaking invitations,
and research enquiries.