IPSA’s 75th Anniversary Conference on Democratization and Autocratization, A Resounding Success

To celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024, IPSA held an international conference on the theme Democratization and Autocratization. The event took place from 11-13 September 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to IPSA’s conference main partners, the Portuguese Political Science Association and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, for their steadfast support and collaboration. We also express our sincere appreciation to NOVA University for their facilities and to our sponsors, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Spain/Portugal Office, Turismo de Lisboa, and the Luso-American Development Foundation, as well as our exhibitors, Brill, Verlag Barbara Budrich, Cogitatio Press and Frontiers in Political Science for their contribution. 

The final day of the Democratization and Autocratization conference began with the IPSA Roundtable: Conversation on the Impact of Political Science in Society: Could We Do Better?. Chaired by IPSA President Pablo Oñate, the roundtable featured two distinguished guests, John Ishiyama (University of North Texas, United States) and Hasret Dikici Bilgin (Istanbul Bilgi University, Türkiye, and IPSA Summer School Coordinator), to discuss the role and influence of political science in today’s world.

Pablo Oñate opened the discussion by underlining the role of political science in generating knowledge and educating future professionals but also noted the growing need for greater engagement in promoting democratic values. Prof. Oñate also expressed concern that political scientists may be focusing too much on publishing research, rather than making their work more accessible to the public..

Hasret Dikici Bilgin noted that in regions such as Europe and the Middle East, political parties tend to prioritize expert opinions from fields like medicine and economics over political science, suggesting that the discipline is not making a significant impact in these areas.

John Ishiyama observed that political science holds greater visibility in the U.S., with some politicians actively seeking insights from the field. He highlighted the importance of improving communication between political scientists and the public, using platforms like the “Monkey Cage” blog to make academic research more accessible.

The roundtable concluded with a discussion of the role of academic organizations like IPSA in safeguarding academic freedom and advancing civic education. In the Q&A session, attendees raised questions about the evolution of political science, the challenges of teaching systematic strategies, and the relevance of social sciences in today's world.

Panels 
On the final day of the conference, 23 panel discussions were held, focusing on topics such as the historical and contemporary challenges of regime change, the impact of populism on democratic erosion, and the evolving role of foreign policy in democratic backsliding. The panels also examined the influence of political economy, civil society, and religious actors in shaping both democratic and autocratic trends.

Several members of the IPSA Executive Committee (EC) played active roles in these discussions. IPSA Vice-President and President of the Portuguese Political Science Association (APCP), Madalena Meyer Resende, presented a paper on How the Catholic Church Shaped the World: Pius XII and Roosevelt and the Making of the Post-War Order in the panel Democracy and Dictatorship after Social Revolution, War, and Empire: Short and Long-Run Legacies I. She also served as a discussant for the panel Religious Actors in the Third Wave of Autocratization.

Magdalena Musiał-Karg chaired the panel Perils of Direct Democracy, while Jesús Tovar Mendoza served as a discussant. Prof. Musiał-Karg also presented her research, The Backsliding of Direct Democracy in Poland: The Case of the 2023 Polish Referendum.

Emilia Palonen contributed with a paper on Populism: Between the Context and the Form? at the panel Populist Narratives and Political Cultures: Disputing Hegemony through Political Myth and Emotions. Lastly, Vanessa Elias de Oliveira presented a paper on Interaction between Organized Civil Society and Judicial Institutions in Brazil: Environmental Issues during Bolsonaro’s Years at the Civil Society and Democracy panel.

Closing Remarks
The conference concluded with a series of closing remarks.

Michael Baum, the Luso-American Development Foundation
Representing one of the sponsors of the conference, the Luso-American Development Foundation, Michael Baum was the first to take the stage during the closing ceremony. In his speech, Prof. Baum presented an overview of FLAD's activities aimed at supporting researchers in political science. He also discussed the foundation's vital role in fostering academic research and collaboration.

Maria Inacia Rezola, Chair of the 50th Anniversary of the Carnation Revolution
The second speaker, Maria Inácia Rezola, Professor IPL’s School of Communication and Media Studies and Executive Commissioner, Commission for the 50th Anniversary of April 25 Celebrations, provided insights into the historical significance of the Carnation Revolution, emphasizing its central role in the transition to democracy in Portugal. Additionally, Prof. Rezola highlighted the revolution as a key research object in understanding democratic evolution.

Pablo Oñate, IPSA President
Finally, Pablo Oñate, IPSA President and Program Committee Chair of the 75th anniversary Lisbon Conference took the stage to express his heartfelt gratitude to his fellow Program Committee members: Yuko Kasuya, IPSA President-Elect and Professor of Political Science at Keio University; Dianne Pinderhughes, IPSA President, Professor of political science at University of Notre Dame; Madalena Meyer Resende, IPSA Vice-President, Professor of political science at NOVA University of Lisbon; Keiichi Kubo, IPSA Committee for Research and Training Chair, Professor of political science at Waseda University;  Hasret Dikici-Bilgin, IPSA Summer Schools Coordinator, Professor of political science at Istanbul Bilgi University; and and Daniel Stockemer, Co-editor of International Political Science Review and Professor of Political Science at the University of Ottawa. 

Prof. Oñate also thanked the IPSA Secretariat staff for their dedication and hard work, as well as the sponsors, partners, and exhibitors whose support was instrumental in making the conference a success. He finally, extended a warm invitation to all conference participants to join the 2025 IPSA World Congress of Political Science in Seoul, South Korea.