Student Spotlight – Martin Makaryan
Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Martin Makaryan!
Martin Makaryan majors in Political Science and minors in Global Studies and is in our Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP)! The title of his project is “Power, Primacy, and Europe’s Post-Cold War Order: Explaining the U.S. Decision to Enlarge NATO.” His hope is that his research will contribute to the field by providing both an explanation for this specific question and a more general theoretical framework to understand foreign policy decision-making. His best piece of advice is to just do it and make the most out of experience!
How did you first get interested in your research project?
I wanted to complete the honors program of the UCLA Department of Political Science even before transferring to UCLA. As I began the process to find undergraduate research opportunities and apply to the department to write a senior thesis, I found out about the URSP program, applied, and received a research scholarship to complete my project.
What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?
Conducting interviews with high-level government officials and examining declassified records regarding NATO expansion.
What has surprised you about your research or the research process?
How much dedication and commitment social science research requires.
What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?
Just do it and make the most out of experience!
What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?
The question of NATO expansion has been and remains a debated and controversial topic both in academic circles and in world politics today. With Russia threatening to invade Ukraine if NATO expansion is not halted, the issue is pressing as ever. I hope that my research will shed new light on an old problem and contribute to the field by providing both an explanation for this specific question and a more general theoretical framework to understand foreign policy decision-making.
