Oleg Pachenkov is a sociologist and urbanist, specialist in the fields of sociology and anthropology of the city. He received his Doctor degree (Candidate of Science in sociology) at sociology department of St.-Petersburg State University in 2009. Now he is a projects leader of the Center UP (Urbanism & Participation) and director of the CO-URBANISM educational program at the European University at St. Petersburg. In 2005 he received a Bundeschancellor scholarship by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He is a participant and coordinator of more than 50 academic and applied research projects, author of over 40 publications in Russian and English. In addition to conducting academic and applied research, he acts as an advisor on urban development and urban processes to businesses and civic initiatives. Since 2016 he has been working as an expert at CISR e.V. in Berlin in the projects of horizontal education and training for the civil society in post-socialist countries.