Donnacha Ó Beacháin is Professor of Politics at Dublin City University, where he lectures on post-Soviet politics, unrecognised states, Irish politics and foreign policy. He has conducted research in all fifteen post-Soviet states and in each of the protracted conflict zones, including ten years living and working in Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Moldova.

Professor Ó Beacháin is the author and editor of several books including From Partition to Brexit: The Irish Government and Northern Ireland, which was the 2019 recipient of the book of the year award from the Political Studies Association of Ireland. His most recent book Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad is published in April 2025.