4th Asian Summer School on Political Parties and Democracy
Date: 20-26 May 2024
Location: National Chengchi University (NCCU) – Taipei (Taiwan)
Organised under the auspices of the Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the School will bring together an international team of academics and practitioners to train and instruct a group of 16 MA/PhD researchers, practitioners and civil society leaders in the field of political parties and democracy.
Sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the National Chengchi University, the Taiwan Research Hub, the University of Nottingham-Malaysia, the OSCE Academy, Asian Political and International Studies Association, the Asia Research Institute and the Centre for the Study of Parties and Democracy.
Aims
The main aims of the School include to:
- to provide instruction and discussion on a wider range of analytical perspectives in the study of political parties, party systems, elections and democracy;
- to develop a multinational forum for both junior scholars and practitioners to critically discuss their research projects and the development of the subfield;
- to assist PhD/MA researchers to develop their dissertation projects at the cutting edge of the field, contributing to innovation in conceptualisation, measurement, analysis and theory;
- to prepare PhD/MA researchers for the requirements and criteria of international academic publishing, and to encourage them to submit their work to academic journals;
- to help practitioners to understand the main academic findings regarding party politics and democracy promotion;
- to build on the most recent developments and challenges of political party development and democracy promotion presented by the “Global Agenda for the Renewal of Representation”
- to stimulate international collaboration in the field of parties, party systems, elections and democracy and to encourage PhD/MA researchers and practitioners to take part in such collaboration.
Fellows
The School is open for PhD/MA researchers, practitioners and civil society leaders in the field of political parties, elections, representative democracy and closely related areas (e.g. corruption) from and working on Asian member states and other territories (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Hong Kong). The maximum number of fellows is 16. Organizers will attempt to achieve both a gender and a regional (i.e. South and South-East Asian as well as Central and Eastern Asian region) balance.
Your application should be appropriately filled in (please do answer all the questions!) and electronically submitted by Sunday 25 February 2024, 11.59 p.m. CET (inclusively), containing at the same time a 500-word abstract (and up to 5 keywords) of your proposed paper. No other documents (e.g. CV, passport) needed at this stage.
Shortlisted fellows will have to send the first paper drafts by Monday 29 April 2024, 11:59 p.m. CET. Then the final selection of fellows will be made. Shortlisted fellows might also be contacted for a Skype interview before final acceptance.
Staff
The teaching staff consists of 21 leading scholars and practitioners in the field of parties and democracy from Asian, European and American Universities and International Organizations.
Teaching format
The School comprises an intensive programme of lectures, seminars and roundtables by leading scholars and practitioners in the field, and presentations with in-depth discussions of fellows’ projects. The teaching language will be English. The School contains 7 teaching days, each of which is organised around a topical research question related to the overall theme of the School. Each day will comprise two main elements, each of which is scheduled to last three and a half hours. The overall number of class contact hours will thus be 35 hours.
The first element consists of a presentation by a staff member on a specific topic related to the theme of the School. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The second element consists of presentations by fellows of their projects (which may, but do not have to be part of their PhD/MA research). Each of these presentations, which should be NO LONGER than 10 minutes MAXIMUM, will be followed by rigorous discussion (approximate 50 minutes) with all other fellows and staff. Per day up to three fellows will present their work.
The best papers will be recommended for publication in the Taiwan Journal of Democracy which will sponsor an award for the BEST paper presented at the School.
VERY IMPORTANT: English is also the ONLY working language, both for papers and presentations.
Assessment and accreditation
Each fellow fulfilling the above mentioned requirements will receive a certificate of participation.
On special request, PhD/MA researchers’ papers may be assessed and credited by staff members of the School. The credits awarded for successful participation and assessment will be 6.5 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits. PhD/MA researchers wishing to have their work accredited are advised to consult the directors of the School at an early stage.
Accommodation
Most of the fellows of the School will be accommodated in single or double rooms at the organizer’s discretion.
Fees
There are no fees. In the event the Summer School (traditional face-to-face) format is allowed, B&B accommodation (8 nights), tuition, lunches and one reception-dinner are sponsored by the organisers.
Any travels arrangements/expenses (including visa, health/travel insurance, etc.) will be organized/covered by the fellows. However, a limited number of fellows will have the opportunity to get their travel reimbursed on a merit-base.
Location
The School is planned to be hosted by the National Chengchi University, located in Taipei (Taiwan).
Directors
The School is directed by Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa (Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, co-director of REPRESENT, member of the OSCE/ODIHR “Core Group of Political Party Experts”, and co-editor of the Routledge Book Series on Political Parties and Party Systems).
Andreas Michael Klein is the Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia, based in Singapore, and Moritz Fink is the responsible Policy Advisor under the Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia. KAS PDA aims to contribute to the strengthening of regional integration, global governance and international dialogue among Asian countries as well as between Europe, Asia and Australasia.
Organizers
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia) is a political foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Founded in 1964, it was named after the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer. KAS offers political and social training activities, conducts research, grants scholarships to students, and supports and encourages international understanding and economic development. In addition to the activities of the local KAS offices in many Asian countries, the regional programme “Political Dialogue Asia” organises and sponsors international conferences and seminars. Its numerous events and diverse projects focus on political and social development, political parties and civil society, social market economy, regional security, international cooperation and Asia-Europe relations, see https://www.kas.de/en/web/politikdialog-asien
The National Chengchi University (NCCU), established in 1927, boasts a robust academic community comprising more than 1,400 faculty members and an enrolment of approximately 16,000 students. This diverse student body includes over 1,400 international students, distributed across 12 colleges that demonstrate excellence in disciplines such as the Liberal Arts, Law, Commerce, Science, Foreign Languages, Social Sciences, Communication, International Affairs, Education, Innovation, Informatics, and Global Banking and Finance. Notably, the College of Social Sciences stands as the largest among them, encompassing approximately 3,600 students across 7 departments, 3 graduate institutes, and 3 English-taught Ph.D. and M.A. programs.
The Taiwan Research Hub brings together researchers from different disciplines and career stages to improve our understanding of Taiwan. We look at the fields of politics, history, culture, society, international relations, and economy. To share our knowledge on Taiwan, we have a book series called Taiwan and World Affairs. We also have our online magazine, Taiwan Insight, and our Facebook and Instagram pages. To have more information, please find us here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/taiwan-research-hub/index.aspx
The OSCE Academy in Bishkek promotes regional cooperation, conflict prevention and good governance in Central Asia through offering post-graduate education, professional training and intellectual exchange. The Academy pursues its mission through particular set of activities, including: Providing expert training and education in human rights, media development, conflict prevention, management, resolution, post-conflict rehabilitation, and in economics, governance and development; Conducting demand-driven and practice-oriented research on relevant Central Asian topics aiming at local, national and regional security-building; Supporting the exchange of information and scientific co-operation among Central Asian academic institutions and their international partner organizations and Establishing and developing a regional network of professionals and researchers, see http://www.osce-academy.net/en/
The Asian Political and International Studies Association is Asia’s leading academic organization dealing with political and international studies. Modelled on academic institutions in North America and Western Europe, APISA serves as an academic community for scholars working on Asia. The Association organizes the annual congress and sponsors a range of academic and professional activities such as book awards, fellowships, regional and international conferences and workshops, and capacity building. In November 2001, 30 academics from research institutes, think tanks, and universities introduced the idea of launching an Asian-based academic organization dedicated to the advancement of political and international studies. It was the general consensus of the meeting that Asian scholars had been marginalized from the decision-making processes of the Western-based associations of a similar nature. Asian schools of thought had been stifled as a consequence of the American hegemony in the social sciences, and that the state of Asian studies in general was underdeveloped. In the light of these concerns, APISA was established and held its founding congress in Singapore in 2003. For more information, see https://www.apisa.org/index.html
The Asia Research Institute brings together the University of Nottingham’s world-leading research and expertise on Asia and to link up researchers working across interdisciplinary boundaries across all three of the University of Nottingham’s campuses. Enjoying a generous bequest from the late Sir Stanley and Lady Tomlinson it produces Asia Dialogue, producing contemporary analysis of the entire Asia region. For more information, see https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/asiaresearch/
The Research Centre for the Study of Parties and Democracy (REPRESENT) is a collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham. It brings together and drives innovative and interdisciplinary research on the falling social penetration of established parties, the rise of populism, and the effectiveness of aid to support democracy. REPRESENT provides a ‘hub’ for knowledge exchange between academic researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. For more information, see www.represent-research.org
The University of Nottingham-Malaysia is the branch campus of the University of Nottingham UK. More than 5000 students are enrolled on the campus, and they come to us from more than 100 countries. Nottingham Malaysia thus contributes strongly to the UNUK’s internationalizing mission. In 2020, the university celebrated its 20th year in Malaysia, making it the oldest international university in the country and one of the most highly regarded private institutions. With a fully articulated curriculum, Nottingham Malaysia also features a vibrant Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Further, within this Faculty, members of the School of Politics, History and International Relations, while mostly focused on cross-national dynamics, also possess research strengths in questions about political regime types and change, especially in the Southeast Asian region, where the 1st Asian Summer School on Political Parties and Democracy is to take place. For more information see https://www.nottingham.edu.my