From 2004 till 2004 Sergei Kukharenko worked as an instructor of Stanford University Initiative on distant learning program. He gave lectures on "Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law" and "Security, Civil liberties and Terrorism", participated in international conferences organized by Stanford University and visited Stanford to participate in professional development seminars in 2005 and 2007.
In 2008 was elected as the head of the Civilian Power political party. After the unification of the Union of Right Forces, Civilian Power, and Democratic Party of Russia into "Right Cause", he was elected as the leader of the newly established party.
In 2008 he was elected as the head of Amur regional department of "Right Cause" political party.
In 2010 Sergei Kukharenko became one of the founders and the member of the presidium of interregional organization "People's Anticorruption Movement".
For a short period of time, from 2012 till 2013, Sergei Kukharenko was a leader of Amur regional department of the Party of People's Freedom. He took part in the establishment of the newly created party and managed to unite democratic leaders in Amur region and make them join the party.
In the 2013–2014 academic year Sergei worked as a visiting professor at Bemidji State University (US, Minnesota) teaching Russian politics, Russian culture and International relations courses.
From 2015, Sergei Kukharenko is heading the Institute for Public Diplomacy in Asia-Pacific.