This panel features political science scholars directing regional “barometer” survey projects tracking social, political, and economic climate around the world. Representing Afrobarometer, Arab Barometer, Asian Barometer, and Latinobarómetro, the panelists will discuss the recent trends and current state of democracy and political development in their respective regions. Together with Eurasia Barometer, the five regional projects form the Global Barometer Surveys network. Under the consortium, surveys are conducted in over 90 countries and cover more than 70% of the world’s population.
Specifically, the event will involve four 15-minute presentations, followed by a half-hour Q&A. Among the speakers, Boniface Dulani will speak on the future of African democracy from the people’s perspective; Michael Robbins will expound the changing views of democracy in the Middle East and North America; Min-hua Huang will discuss the perceptions of the US-China competition in East Asia; Marta Lagos will present on the resilience of democracy in Latin America. Andrew Nathan will moderate the panel as well as the Q&A.
This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute.
Moderator: Andrew J. Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Columbia University
Speakers:
Boniface Dulani is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of Politics and Government at the University of Malawi and Director of Surveys for Afrobarometer, the pan-African network of researchers who conduct surveys on governance, the economy, livelihoods, and other topics. As Afrobarometer’s Director of Surveys, Boniface leads a fantastic team of researchers from more than 40 countries across Africa to collect data that reflects the views of citizens across the continent. These data are then passed on to policymakers and other decision-makers so that the voices of ordinary citizens are reflected in key policy decisions.
Michael Robbins serves as the director and co-principal investigator of Arab Barometer. He has been part of Arab Barometer since its inception and served as its director since 2014. He has led or overseen hundreds of surveys around the world and is a leading expert in methods for ensuring survey data quality. His work on public opinion in MENA, survey methodology, and political behavior has been published in numerous journals, including Foreign Affairs, Comparative Political Studies, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, the Journal of Democracy, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Statistical Journal of the IAOS. His analysis has been featured by major media outlets around the world including the BBC, CNN, the Economist, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Times of London, Der Spiegel, and Science Magazine.
Min-Hua Huang is Chair and Professor in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University (NTU). Before joining NTU, he worked at Shanghai Jiaotong University, Texas A&M University, and National Chengchi University. He was also a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies (2014-2015). Recent writings appear in Political Science Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, Journal of Asian Public Policy, and Asian Survey. His degrees are from the University of Michigan (PhD), National Sun Yat-Sen University (MA), and NTU (BA).
Marta Lagos is the founding director of the Latinobarómetro Corporation. She is also a founding member and coordinator of Global Barometer Surveys. Lagos is the author of the Barómetro CERC, which has monitored the Chilean transition to democracy from 1987 to the present, as well as numerous other publications. Lagos is a member of the World Value Survey Association’s executive committee and a founding member of the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. She has done consulting work on polls and electoral processes in 23 countries and served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. She holds an M.A. in economics from the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Registration:
- To attend this event in-person, please register HERE.
- To attend this event online, please register HERE.
Registration is required for non-Columbia guests to access the Morningside campus. Once registered, you will receive a QR code, which must be presented along with a government-issued ID on the day of your visit. Please ensure you register using your full legal name as it appears on your ID. Please enter campus through the Broadway & 116th Street or Amsterdam & 116th Street campus entrances. To guarantee access, please complete your registration no later than 9:00 AM on January 22nd.
