James Altman is a PhD candidate in Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He specializes in emergency humanitarian response, governance policies in multi-ethnic states, ethno-national conflict, and the interactions between these three fields. His doctoral research examines the long-term implementation and impact of Soviet-style nationality policies in multi-ethnic states such as the USSR, China, Ethiopia, and Yugoslavia, exploring their effects on stability, cultural preservation, and conflict. James holds an MA in Global and International Studies from UCSB and is scheduled to finish his PhD in 2026. He is fluent in English and Russian, with additional proficiency in Mandarin, French, and several other languages

Outside of academia, James has worked in humanitarian emergencies across Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Chad, primarily with the United Nations Children’s Fund and partner NGOs. His work focused on child protection, education, health, water access, and minority rights in active conflict zones. These field experiences deeply inform his academic inquiry into how policy can mitigate inter-ethnic conflict and protect vulnerable populations.

As a long-distance touring cyclist, James has spent four years bicycling from town to town across scores of countries. Between this, his years working abroad, and his academic research projects, he has been to nearly 80 countries. This extensive international experience has provided valuable perspectives and contributed to his interest in using comparative cases and lessons learned to improve government policies.

Select Publications:

• “Answering the ‘National Question’: Marxist Theories and the Intellectual Origins of Soviet Nationality Policies” Nationalities Papers. 2025:1-17. doi:10.1017/nps.2024.101
• “Improving Humanitarian Intelligence: Better Collection and Use of Information by the UN in Emergencies Can Help Save More Lives” in Richard Falk and Hans von Sponeck Liberating the United Nations: Realism with Hope Stanford University Press 2024 ISBN: 9781503638211
• “Children of the Contact Line in East Ukraine,” UNICEF Ukraine 2017: https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/Children_of_the_Contact_Line.pdf
• "Redshift: From Communist Internationalism to Blood Nationalism - The Legacy of Soviet Nationalities Policy in the Caucasus” University of California, Santa Barbara Alexandria Digital Research Library MA Thesis 2015