Since 2022, APSA staff have partnered with Organized Sections and Related Groups to organize one-day short courses prior to the Annual Meeting and Exhibition. At this year’s conference in Vancouver, we brought together over 20 early-career scholars between two international Research Development Groups (RDGs). Both RDGs were held in-person on Wednesday, September 10. While authors, co-leaders, and discussants were selected earlier in the year, sessions were also open to pre-registered audience members welcome to give feedback.
Research Development Groups offer authors the opportunity to advance research towards publication, participate in the APSA Annual Meeting, and develop scholarly networks with colleagues. In addition to their individual schedules, the RDG programs convene for a joint group lunch to encourage expanded discussion and identify opportunities for research collaboration beyond their home regions. Participants are also assisted in developing personalized conference schedules to promote linkages with different APSA organized sections, related groups, and attendees.
Organized in partnership with the MENA Politics Section, the MENA RDG convened four scholars from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Palestine.
In collaboration with the Southeast Asian Politics Related Group (SEAPRG), the Southeast Asia RDG brought together five scholars representing Vietnam, Myanmar, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Authors were joined by five discussants from universities in the United States, Singapore, and Canada.
Read more about the 2025 Research Development Groups below.
2025 Southeast Asian Politics Research Development Group
Our third Southeast Asian Politics Research Development Group (RDG) was held in conjunction with the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). The one-day program, organized in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Politics Related Group (SEAPRG), offered five Asia-based scholars the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on current research projects, gain practice and insights on conducting the review process for others, and participate in interactive professional development sessions tailored toward cohort interests.
The workshop was facilitated by Risa Toha (Wake Forest University), Kai Ostwald (University of British Columbia), Nhu Truong (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Elvin Ong (National University of Singapore) and Jacob Ricks (Singapore Management University).
Invited scholars were expected to prepare an original, solo-authored, high-quality research manuscript which, during the RDG, was shared for discussion and critical feedback. Advanced scholars in thematic fields were invited as discussants and plenary speakers. Following participation, RDG attendees can utilize this feedback to revise their research for publication in journals, special issues, symposia, or other collaborative work. This year’s program featured a dedicated session on “getting published”, especially as applies to South/East Asian periodicals. View the full agenda here.
RDG Attendees
The Research Development Group was intended for PhD students and early-career faculty in political science, international relations, and other social science disciplines based at institutions in East and Southeast Asia. The program was open to those undertaking Asia politics research across a range of contemporary topics. Participants included:
- Attawat Assavanadda, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
“What does China’s rise mean to ethnic Chinese overseas? A qualitative study of Sino-Thais” - Bui Thi Minh Ha, University of Social Sciences and Humanities / Vietnam National University (Vietnam)
“The Role of Urban Governance to Flood Adaptation Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam” - Hurriyah, Universitas Indonesia (Indonesia)
“Navigating shrinking space: Civil society’s adaptive struggle in Eastern Indonesia” - Myat Su Tin, University of Massachusetts Lowell (USA)
“Political Events and Public Political Engagement in Authoritarian Contexts: Evidence from Operation 1027 in Myanmar on Facebook Pages” - Duy Trinh, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)
“How Citizens Use Informal Ties to Make Sophisticated Observations of Authoritarian Elite Politics”
Learn more about the annual Southeast Asian Politics RDG here.
For information on other opportunities related to APSA’s Asia Workshops, please visit this link or email asiaworkshops@apsanet.org.
2025 MENA Politics Research Development Group
Four PhD candidates and early-career scholars from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Palestine were selected to participate in the 2025 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) RDG at the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver. Led by Curtis R. Ryan (Appalachian State University), Zahra Babar (Georgetown University), and Summer Forester (Carleton College), the full-day seminar provided participants the opportunity to present and receive constructive feedback on article-length manuscripts in progress. Papers were circulated weeks in advance to allow ample time for review by both co-leaders and fellow peers.
In addition to providing detailed feedback on participants’ manuscripts and guidance on how to position their work within the broader literature, co-leaders and organizers worked closely with the cohort to develop personalized conference strategies. They helped participants develop tailored schedules to maximize networking opportunities throughout the four-day conference, connecting them with relevant organized sections, affiliated groups, and scholars in their fields.
The seminar was supported through APSA’s MENA Program, a long-term initiative generously funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to advance and support early-career scholars across the Arab world.
In an effort to provide additional long-term support following the conclusion of the conference, participants were encouraged to apply for the MENA Mentoring Initiative, which pairs early-career scholars from the region with advanced-career scholars for feedback and guidance on their research projects with the aim of advancing manuscripts towards publication once nearly all components are complete.
2025 MENA RDG Participants
- Boutaina Ait Ouchaou, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco)
“Hedging in New Terrain: The role of National Role Conceptions (NRCs) in understanding Morocco and Egypt’s Responses to U.S-China Competition” - Dhouha Jerbi, Geneva Graduate Institute (Switzerland)
“Institutional Gender Boundaries and the Gender Politics of Claim-Making in the Tunisian Countryside” - Ghadir Awad, University of Michigan (USA)
“Digital Annihilation in Gaza after October 7: Internet Blackouts as Epistemic Violence” - Mohamed Elgohari, George Mason University (USA)
“From Legalism to Algorithmic Control: Digital Authoritarianism, Legal Instruments, and the AI-Enhanced Surveillance State in the MENA Region”
For more information on opportunities related to APSA’s MENA Workshops, please visit this link or email menaworkshops@apsanet.org.
APSA is grateful for the opportunity to engage with such phenomenal scholars. Thank you to all who made these programs a success!