An interdisciplinary workshop with Professor Nic Cheeseman addressing democracy, governance, and human rights.

Scholars, early career researchers, and post-graduate students are invited to join Visiting Fellow, Professor Nic Cheeseman (University of Birmingham) for a workshop exploring the opportunities and challenges of democratic systems in new and post-colonial democracies. As Professor Cheeseman’s core research interests lie in the area of comparative politics and democratization in sub-Saharan Africa, addressing themes including democratization, governance, political violence, election rigging, and the politicization of ethnicity, the workshop will explore these and related themes raised by participants.

Nic Cheeseman is Professor of Democracy and International Development at the University of Birmingham. In addition to numerous book chapters and journal articles, he is the author of Democracy in Africa: Successes, failures and the struggle for political reform (CUP, 2015). He also writes about contemporary events in Africa in a bi-weekly column for Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper. Professor Cheeseman also regularly provides analysis to the UK and US governments, and is an advisor to, and writer for, Ko Annan’s African Progress Panel. For more information, see his personal website: www.democracyinafrica.org

Call for participation (Due 15 March)

Participants: We invite short presentations of works in progress, ideas and theoretical concerns (between 5-10 minutes) from academics, including ECRs and post-graduate students from the ANU and other universities which address themes noted above and/or other related concerns including research on democracy and governance based on the African continent as well as other regions, including but not limited to Eastern and Central Europe and across Asia and the Pacific.

Send a short biography (100 word max) and a 200 word abstract to Christina Kenny (Christina.kenny@anu.edu.au) by 15 March 2018. Successful applicants will be notified by Monday, 19 March.

Audience members: Should you prefer to attend the workshop as an observer, please rsvp by 15 March 2018 for catering purposes.