Dr. Eli Kaul 
Dr. Eli C. Kaul is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, specializing in comparative political economy, and government structures and institutions. His research investigates how state security institutions evolve under pressure from domestic and international forces, with a particular focus on state-society relations. Dr. Kaul’s work draws from extensive field experience and advanced quantitative methods, offering fresh insights into how political institutions respond to crises of legitimacy, war, and external influence.
A core pillar of Dr. Kaul’s scholarship is his expertise in data analytics. He employs a diverse set of statistical tools – including multivariate regression, geospatial analysis, and causal inference modeling using software such as Stata, R, SPSS, and ArcGIS – to explore the intersections of security, transparency, and governance. His recent research includes an in-depth mixed-methods analysis of conflict spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on civil unrest in Belarus and Moldova, as well as studies of institutional path dependency within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
Dr. Kaul’s broader research agenda connects political economy and security by examining how regimes utilize information, surveillance, and coercion to maintain control, and how civil society actors respond. He has presented his work at leading academic conferences, including the International Studies Association and Midwest Political Science Association Annual conferences, and his research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and policy-oriented outlets.
Dr. Kaul integrates real-world datasets and hands-on analytical projects into his teaching. His courses emphasize critical thinking, data literacy, and applied research design, preparing students to interrogate complex political phenomena through both theoretical and empirical lenses.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Kaul brings practical experience from the U.S. intelligence community and foreign policy sector, having worked with the U.S. Department of State and in congressional offices. He remains actively engaged in public scholarship and interdisciplinary collaboration on issues of global security, regime change, and technological governance.
