IPSA Lecture at the 2023 IAPSS World Congress in Montreal

Photo (from left to right): IPSA President-Elect Pablo Oñate, IPSA Executive Director Kim Fontaine-Skronski, IAPSS President Oleksii Zahreba and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Concordia University Daniel Salée.

IPSA had a strong presence at the 2023 World Congress of the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS), held on 15-19 May at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. 

As the flagship event attended by hundreds of students each year, the IAPSS World Congress serves as a platform to present and discuss research with fellow students worldwide. During the event, participants were involved in a wide range of activities, including student-led panels, academic lectures, and study tours. This year’s IAPSS World Congress was the first in-person World Congress since 2019, with the theme Global Cooperation in the Era of Disruption.

The event began with opening remarks by IAPSS President Oleksii Zahreba, Chair of the Department of Political Science at Concordia University Daniel Salée, and IPSA Executive Director Kim Fontaine-Skronski. In her speech, Dr. Fontaine-Skronski welcomed the delegates and highlighted the cooperation between IPSA and IAPPS. Recently, IPSA and IAPSS signed an agreement to renew and expand their academic and institutional cooperation. The agreement with IAPSS creates an inclusive and global political science community, as IAPSS is the only student association representing political science students worldwide.

IPSA Lecture

After the words of welcome, IPSA President-Elect Pablo Oñate delivered a keynote address on Populism in Latin America and Europe: Similar Impact on Democracy?

Populism is a common denominator across many of today’s political systems. It can find expression in a strategy adopted by individual actors, or a lightweight ideology meant to mobilize constituents or improve electoral prospects, and it can also be used by leaders who openly espouse a populist sentiment or platform to gain access to government positions. From its early stages and manifestations, populism has evolved to embody common patterns and characteristics across different countries. That said, there are differences between populism in European countries and populism in Latin American countries, which lead to different results and effects.

Prof. Oñate’s lecture laid out these common patterns, as well as those that differentiate the European and Latin American models, with the ultimate goal of analyzing the related consequences for democracy and, in each instance, the quality of democracy. Prof. Oñate’s keynote concluded with a Q&A session.  
 

IPSA Booth

IPSA also held a booth at the IAPSS Congress to provide information about the 2023 IPSA World Congress of Political Science as well as IPSA activities, educational programs and recent publications. 

For more information about the IAPSS World Congress, please visit the event website.