Dr Max Fras is a researcher, evaluator and policy adviser specialising in civil society, youth policy, strategic communication and public policy.

He has over fifteen years of experience in research design, evaluation, policy analysis and strategic planning for governments, international organisations and civil society across Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Dr Fras holds a PhD in social sciences. His research and evaluation work spans qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including large-scale survey design, policy review and programme evaluation. He is co-author of About Time!, the EU–Council of Europe Youth Partnership reference manual on the youth dimensions of the EU’s external action (2021).

Dr Fras is also an experienced facilitator, trainer and speaker with extensive experience presenting to senior policy and institutional audiences including the European Commission, national governments and parliaments in Europe and Africa as well as civil society and education experts. 

He has led or contributed to research, evaluation and policy advisory assignments for:

• European Union (youth policy, development education, development cooperation)
• Council of Europe (democratisation, rule of law, human rights, youth work quality)
• British Council (youth research, education, skills and youth engagement — including the Next Generation Kazakhstan and Understanding Ukrainian Young People reports)
• USAID (rule of law and judicial reform)
• GIZ (employment policy)
• UNDP (social policy)
• UNESCO (youth and intercultural dialogue)

Dr Fras has provided policy advice and technical assistance to the governments of Albania, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, as well as to EU institutions and multilateral bodies.

Dr Fras speaks native Polish, fluent English and Russian, and intermediate French and German.

Expertise: EU external action; public diplomacy; EU development policy; EU enlargement; youth policy; civil society; education; research; strategic communication; Eastern Europe; South Caucasus; Central Asia; Western Balkans; Middle East; Sub-Saharan Africa; programme evaluation; research design; Council of Europe; United Nations.

Follow Max Fras on Twitter at @maxfras and on LinkedIn.

LSE Consulting projects:

• Next Generation Kazakhstan
  
  Date: September 2025
  Client: British Council
  Authors: Max Fras, Elisabet Vives, Dr Ignacio Franco Vera, Trinidad Moreno Silva, Dina Sharipova, Aiman Zhussupova
  

• Understanding Ukrianian Young People's Concerns, Needs, and Hopes: Looking Ahead to a Future Rebuilding of Ukraine
  
  Date: November 2024
  Client: British Council
  Authors: Mariia Zolina, Max Fras, Elisabet Vives, InfoSapiens

• Next Generation - What We Know Briefs
  
  Date: May 2022
  Client: British Council
  Authors: Matt Cresswell, Max Fras, Elisabet Vives and Amy White

• Progress Review and the Final Evaluation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2018-2021
  
  Date: April 2021
  Client: Council of Europe
  Authors: William Bartlett, Max Fras, Tena Prelec, Enkeleida Tahiraj, Elisabet Vives