Petr Pesov

Biography

Petr Pesov is a Guest Researcher in the Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT) Research Group of the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis Program, where he studies misinformation narratives directed at social groups.

Pesov uses natural language processing and sentiment analysis to build early warning systems that pick up escalation signals from open-source media, with a focus on outgroup rhetoric and information manipulation across multilingual platforms. His doctoral research at Tel Aviv University treats social conflicts as processes rather than events, drawing on discourse data from ten case studies to develop a new interdisciplinary conflict typology. Before joining IIASA, Pesov investigated influence operations, artificial echo chambers, and disinformation campaigns across internet communities. At Tel Aviv University, he leads government and public affairs at the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center and is Director of the Boris Mints Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions to Global Challenges, overseeing research on migration, demography, and conflict management.

Pesov holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Bologna Campus, Italy; a Master of Arts in Public Policy (summa cum laude, valedictorian) from Tel Aviv University, Israel; and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He is also an IGS3 Fellow.


Last update: 04 MAY 2026