Asian Political Cultures
About the Theme
Launched in 2025, the Asian Political Cultures research cluster supports the examination of ideas, practices, and experiences that shape politics across Asia. The theme emphasizes the cultural foundations of political life, recognizing that political institutions, movements, and policies are deeply influenced by values, beliefs, social norms, and historical memory.
“To engage with the Asian Political Cultures theme will mean different things to different scholars. For some, it could mean a focus on political institutions or practices that encode specific cultural histories or assumptions. For others, it might mean exploring the politicization of cultural objects and activities. For others still, it might mean highlighting the discursive and normative dimensions of political competition and policymaking.
We are looking forward to supporting projects that will illuminate understanding of Asia’s political diversity and its global significance.”— Michel Hockx, Professor of Chinese Literature and Director of the Liu Institute (2016-2026)
The cluster’s inaugural activity will support thematic workshops held in Asia, either at Notre Dame facilities or at partner institutions, and that bring together Notre Dame faculty, visiting fellows, and/or students with scholars and/or policymakers and practitioners from Asia.
Asia presents a wide range of cases for the study of politics and political culture. Democratic backsliding is an issue globally, and democracy is central to the new cluster, including the study of cases in Asia that fail to meet globally accepted definitions of democracy. At the same time, Asia is home to interesting and unexpected cases of democratic resilience and to political ideas and practices that do not fit cleanly into a democracy-authoritarian dichotomy.
Across Asia, political life has been shaped by a range of traditions that interact with modern forces such as globalization, digital media, economic development, and transnational activism, producing political cultures that are dynamic and often contested. Understanding these interactions is essential for making sense of governance, participation, authority, resistance, and identity.
Contact
For more information about Asian Political Cultures, please contact Kum Kang Lee, program manager for research and strategic initiatives for the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, at kumkanglee@nd.edu.
Call for Proposals
In line with the stated aims of its strategic plan, the Liu Institute has launched a second multidisciplinary research cluster, in addition to its long-standing cluster on Justice and Asia. The new Asian Political Cultures cluster is set to contribute to the study of democracy, and of politics in general, through a focus on Asia, as well as through a commitment to different approaches, including quantitative and qualitative social science approaches and the hermeneutic traditions of the humanities.
For the initial funding round, the cluster’s steering committee invites proposals for thematic workshops held in Asia (either at Notre Dame facilities or at partner institutions) that bring together Notre Dame faculty, visiting fellows, and/or students with scholars and/or policymakers and practitioners from different Asian countries.
Criteria
-
The planned workshop must take place in Asia before July 1, 2027.
-
The workshop must include participants from Notre Dame and must outline plans for partnering with one or more institutions in Asia.
-
The topic of the workshop must align with the theme of Asian Political Cultures, especially with the cluster’s commitment to approaching the theme from different disciplinary angles.
-
Awards will not typically exceed $10,000, but all proposals will be considered on their merits.
-
Proposals must include a narrative description of the project (maximum two pages) and a detailed budget that includes information about additional sources of funding.
Eligibility
-
All Liu Institute core affiliated faculty and faculty fellows are eligible to apply by February 15, 2026.
- Applicants will be informed of the outcome by March 1, 2026.
