Austin Jersild has published widely on the formation and expansion of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus in the nineteenth century, and Sino-Soviet relations in the twentieth century.  His research has been supported by Fulbright, the National Council on Eurasian and East European Studies (in 2007-08 and 2021-22), the Kennan Institute, American Councils on International Education, the Berlin Center for Cold War Studies, and the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of East Europe (GWZO) at the University of Leipzig.  His current work addresses the Sino-Soviet rivalry in the Global South.