Dayana Alagirova

Dayana Alagirova is a space security researcher and second-year Ph.D. student at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research examines how states signal, construct governance strategies, and manage escalation risks in space before binding norms are in place — with a focus on Russian strategic behavior, cislunar exploration, and middle-power dynamics amid great-power competition. A Fulbright alumna, she holds a B.A. from MGIMO University with a minor in Danish and an M.S. from Georgia Tech, and draws on data analytics and scenario forecasting to produce work aimed directly at policy advisers and military planners. Her work has appeared in Russia in Global Affairs and The National Interest, as well as in the Texas National Security Review. She also serves as the Head of Research at the Space Economy and Policy Research Center, based in Moscow, Russia. She is also a Young Scholar in the 2026-2027 Cohort at the Valdai Discussion Club in Russia.