Brendan Shurina

Education:
M.A. in European Studies, Graduate Certificate in Environmental Humanities; University of Virginia (2026)
B.A. with Highest Distinction in German and Foreign Affairs, Minor in History; University of Virginia (2025) 
 

Brendan graduated from the University of Virginia with an M.A. in European Studies in 2026, alongside completing a graduate certificate in Environmental Humanities. During undergrad at UVA, he double majored in German and Foreign Affairs with a minor in History. His research dealt with far-right extremism, political institutions, and memory politics. For his undergraduate Distinguished Majors Thesis in German Studies, he researched the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party and their campaigns during the 2025 federal election. Having studied abroad in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany for the Winter 2025-2026 semester, his M.A. thesis compared the German AfD's campaign strategies to the Dutch Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) in their respective 2025 election campaigns due to the presence of militant-democratic institutions in Germany and lack thereof in the Netherlands.