Dr. Bela Nikitina
Researcher
email: belanik@gmail.com
Bela Nikitina is a sociologist and interdisciplinary social researcher specializing in sustainability, environmental governance, circular economy, municipal waste management, and digital social research. Her work combines environmental sociology, public policy analysis, demographic studies, and applied qualitative and quantitative research methods.
She currently serves as a Research Fellow at the Center for Environmental Management and Natural Resources at the University of Haifa, where she conducts research on the social and institutional dimensions of environmental management, with particular attention to waste governance, circular economy practices, public environmental behavior, and digital communication of sustainability knowledge.
Academic and Professional Background
Dr. Nikitina received her PhD in Sociology of Public Administration from the Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration and also holds an M.A. in History from Samara State University. Prior to joining the University of Haifa, she worked for many years in academia and the nonprofit sector, combining university teaching, policy-oriented social research, environmental education, and community-based sustainability initiatives.
Her academic and professional experience includes leadership and participation in more than 50 sociological and interdisciplinary research projects related to sustainability, public health, demographic policy, environmental education, waste management, and community engagement.
Research Interests
- Environmental sociology and sustainability
- Circular economy and municipal waste management
- Environmental governance and public policy
- Digital social research and online discourse
- AI-assisted qualitative analysis
- Food waste prevention and sustainable consumption
- Community-based environmental initiatives
- Demography and public health sociology
Teaching and Academic Experience
Dr. Nikitina has extensive teaching experience in social sciences and interdisciplinary environmental studies. She taught courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, demographic analysis and forecasting, sociology of public health, environmental sociology, urban sociology, sustainability studies, and social policy.
She has supervised undergraduate and graduate student research projects and developed online educational courses and training programs in sustainability and municipal waste management in Russian and English.
Publications
Dr. Nikitina is the author of more than 70 academic publications, including monographs, peer-reviewed journal articles, and international conference papers focusing on sustainability, circular economy, waste governance, environmental communication, and digital communities.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bela-nikitina-42008933