Change is the sign of our times. Will it be adaptive, progressive, revolutionary, repressive, or simply provoke collapse? These enduring questions are at the heart of the new Political Science PhD program in Political Development. It focuses on the role of political institutions in mediating a country’s adaptation to globalization. Students work closely with Political Science faculty, learn cutting-edge statistical methods, and can draw on the interdisciplinary resources of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Murphy Institute for Political Economy, and the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research.
The nine students who form the program’s first cohort reflect the focus on globalization. Four are from the United States, three come from China, and there is one each from Iran and Northern Ireland. They are training to conduct research on a variety of topics crucial to international politics including ethnic conflict, environment and development, the resilience of authoritarian regimes, and human rights.
Mart Trasberg
"What most impresses me with the program is the international background and diversity of academic interests of PhD students, and a small faculty-student ratio, which creates the possibility of close interaction between the students and professors in the department."
Michael Jones
“The department's resources and faculty expertise have provided unparalleled support for the wide range of interests pursued by the program's first cohort. Whatever the issue, the program's faculty have already served as outstanding mentors--who are as accessible as they are helpful.”
Zhu Zang
“I think this new doctoral program is the most ideal setting to study Political Development because of the unique interdisciplinary design of the program, the composition of the faculty, the quality of the faculty research and teaching and outstanding resources.”
For more information, please contact the program director, Eduardo Silva, gesilva@tulane.edu