Aron is examining the exodus of intellectuals and other professionals who have fled authoritarianism, militarism and a deteriorating economy at home before and after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, he is observing on a granular level how opposition activists, jour-nalists, civil society actors and others are building new lives and careers, what they reflect about Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and how exile communities are affecting host countries. Aron recently received a joint masters degree in global journalism and Russian/Slavic Studies from New York University. He's worked as a freelance journalist and a cybersecurity analyst. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Economist and The Moscow Times.