The Center for Asian Democracy aims to promote research & teaching about democratization in Asia & to be a forum for discussion in Louisville & the region.
CAD graduate and undergraduate research assistants have been hard at work producing reports on key events in Asian democracy, including landmark elections and watershed political events. Check out our reports from the 2025-26 academic year below!
Graduate assistant Grace Bingham also analyzes the upcoming elections in Bangsamoro, the first-ever elections for the newly created autonomous region’s parliament. Read the full report here. louisville.box.com/s/a4r44ok…
Graduate Assistant Grace Bingham also wrote a comprehensive report on the recent election campaign in Bangladesh, held in the aftermath of the country’s 2024 Gen Z-led revolution. Be sure to check it out here! louisville.box.com/s/ox92smx…
Update from India: Elections in West Bengal move towards the finish line as millions find themselves removed from the electoral roll. “Polarizing rhetoric” follows the controversy, as the BJP seeks victory in a state ruled by the opposition. Read more: cbs42.com/news/international…
Want to learn more about elections in India? Listen to our podcast “Inside the 2024 Indian Election” with Dr. Anirvan Chowdhury here: open.spotify.com/episode/35r…
.@Primeragandang of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology joins the pod to discuss the upcoming elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Stream our newest episode now: rss.com/podcasts/cadpodcast/…
Myanmar Update: Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president following a landslide win in an election many democracy watchdogs called a "farce." Voting did not happen in "large swaths of the country," namely in rebel-controlled areas. Read more: aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/10…
Want to learn more about conflict in Myanmar? Listen to our podcast “Inside the Myanmar Civil War” with Professor Jacques Bertrand here: open.spotify.com/episode/2Ia…
Join us next Tuesday for our next Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture @FilsonHistory which we're co-presenting with @UofL's Center for @AsianDemocrcy.
This is a free event, but registration is required. See details below.
We hope you can join us!
You are invited to join us for the 2026 Annual Lecture on Asian Democracy, featuring IFES CEO Anthony Banbury! In this talk, he will discuss the opportunities, challenges, and the changing role of the U.S. in advancing democracy in Asia.
Register now! bit.ly/4cjGIzQ
You are invited to join us for the 2026 Annual Lecture on Asian Democracy, featuring IFES CEO Anthony Banbury! In this talk, he will discuss the opportunities, challenges, and the changing role of the U.S. in advancing democracy in Asia.
Register now! bit.ly/4cjGIzQ
Update from Nepal: The day after new PM Shah was sworn in, ex-PM Oli was arrested in connection with the violence surrounding last year’s Gen-Z uprising. Oli supporters are protesting in what will be an early test for the new RSP government. Read more: france24.com/en/live-news/20…
Want to learn more about the recent protest movement in Nepal? Listen to our podcast episode with Dr. Annamaria Prati “Inside Nepal’s Gen-Z Protests” here: open.spotify.com/episode/3C4…
Fuel shortages caused by the Iran war hit S.E. Asia particularly hard, including shortened work and school weeks, grounded flights, and rolling blackouts. Many govt's are utilizing subsidies that economists deem unsustainable in the long term. Read more: cfr.org/articles/the-iran-wa…
Kazakhstan Update: Citizens pass the constitutional referendum with near 90% support, expanding the powers of the President across several branches of government and reinstates the office of the Vice President which last existed in 1996. Read more here: euronews.com/2026/03/16/larg…
Want to learn more about Central Asian politics? Listen to our podcast episode with Dr. Khasan Redjaboev, “Inside Soviet Legacies in Central Asia” below: open.spotify.com/episode/6MC…
You are invited to join us for a conversation with Dr. Iza Ding of Northwestern University, centering on her research in contemporary Chinese environmental politics. Lunch will be provided. Register now! bit.ly/4rVcuZX
Update from Nepal: Rapper turned Mayor of Kathmandu set to win a landslide victory in Nepal’s post-revolutionary election. No government has won a majority since the country’s first democratic elections in 1959. Read more here: aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/8/…