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Dr Ruxandra Serban

Positions held:
  • Lecturer, School of Social Sciences
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    I joined Birkbeck in January 2026 as Lecturer in Politics and Qualitative Research Methods. Previously, I held positions in the UCL Department of Political Science and the LSE Department of Methodology. My research focuses on parliaments and parliamentary politics in the UK and other democracies.

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Parliaments, parliamentary politics and procedure
    • Prime ministers, ministers, and their interactions with parliaments
    • The UK Parliament
    • The comparative study of institutions, and comparative research design

    Research overview

    Recent publications

    Serban, R. (2025) ‘Questions to the Prime Minister in the Canadian House of Commons: Transformation or tweak?’, Parliamentary Affairs, (First View: September 2025) 

    Serban R., Luke Hussey and Peter Kerr. (2025) ‘Questioning the Government’, in C. Leston-Bandeira, L. Thompson, A. Meakin (eds.) Exploring Parliament, Second Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

    Serban, R. (2023). Conflictual behaviour in legislatures: Exploring and explaining adversarial remarks in oral questions to prime ministers. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, First View August 2023 

    Serban, R. (2023). The practice of accountability in questioning Prime Ministers: Comparative evidence from Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 25(1), 42–63.  (First View November 2021)

    Russell, M., & Serban, R. (2022). Why it Is Indeed Time for the Westminster Model to Be Retired from Comparative Politics. Government and Opposition, 57(2), 370-384.  (First View November 2021)

    Serban, R. (2022). How are prime ministers held to account? Exploring procedures and practices in 31 parliamentary democracies. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 28(2), 155-178.   (First View December 2020)

    Russell, M., & Serban, R. (2021). The Muddle of the 'Westminster Model': A Concept Stretched Beyond Repair. Government and Opposition, 56(4), 744-764.   (First View July 2020) 

    Serban, R. (2019). Last Word: How are Prime Ministers Held to Account? Political Insight, 10(1), 40. 

    Bates, S., Kerr, P. and Serban R., (2018) ‘Questioning the Government’, in C. Leston-Bandeira and L. Thompson (eds.) Exploring Parliament, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Teaching

    Teaching modules

    • Power and Politics in the UK (POSO020S7)
    • Qualitative Research Design (SSPO243H7)
  • Publications

    Publications

    External Repositories