By Alejandra Jimenez, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department
Surrealism refers to a form of visual art that produces incongruous imagery by means of irrational juxtapositions. Some argue that surrealism revolutionizes the human experience, as magic and beauty can be found in the unexpected and uncanny. In a similar way, my time in Chile has been just that—pleasantly unexpected.
Continue reading Chile SurrealistaBy Matt Martin, PhD student in the UT Government Department
The time I’ve spent in Panama has been nothing short of a privilege. To work alongside International IDEA and have a peek into the world of democratic and electoral assistance was invaluable, both on a professional and personal level. Most of my time was spent at the Tribunal Electoral (“Electoral Tribunal,” or TE), where International IDEA-Panama is located. The TE houses not only the country’s civil registry, national ID directorate, and specialized electoral body but also the Instituto de Estudios Democráticos (“Institute of Democratic Studies,” or INED). I worked alongside the director of INED, Salvador Sánchez, and several other researchers on his talented team. Their kindheartedness made me feel more than welcome as an intern.
Continue reading Constitutional Performance in PanamaBy Kaitlin Passafiume, PhD candidate in the UT Spanish and Portuguese Department
As I wrap up the initial month of working with International IDEA at the Electoral Tribunal in Panama, I reflect on the diverse experiences that I have enjoyed in a short period of time. My completion of this internship signals an ability to successfully pivot from an academic background, using my critical humanities formation for public-facing work going forward. I remain convinced that cultural considerations have their place in governmental and extra-governmental projects, and I am heartened to find that the public arena in Panama considers and even encourages diverse perspectives.
Continue reading First-Ever Symbolic Youth Voting Campaign in PanamaFour graduate and undergraduate UT students are conducting their Summer 2023 work in Chile at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Alejandra Jimenez, Guillermo Pérez, and Tien Vo started their work at the IDEA Chile Office on June 1, and they’re joined this week by Matt Martin, fresh in from IDEA’s Panama Office. The fellows are supporting a range of legal and constitutional reform projects in Chile, with Chile’s current constitutional reform process underway.
Continue reading Fellows Team Grows in Chile!Six graduate and undergraduate UT students started their Summer 2023 work today in Panama at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Francisco Alvarado-Quiroz, Alexys Aquino, Matt Martin, and Kaitlin Passafiume are working at the IDEA Panama Office, supporting a range of democracy assistance projects including evaluations of the constitution’s performance, women’s participation in elections, and the first-ever Panamanian youth voting campaign.
Continue reading Fellows Arrive in Panama!The 2023 Embedded Scholars have been preparing for their summer work abroad through a new government course created for the program — Research in Democratic and Constitutional Development — taught by Ashley Moran. The course delves into issues in democratization, constitutional design, and democracy assistance, engaging students in research in these areas. This semester, the students worked with Professor Moran and the Comparative Constitutions Project to design a new deliberative consultation framework to research public views on constitutional issues.
Continue reading 2023 Fellows Develop New Public ConsultationThis story originally appeared on the UT College of Liberal Arts website. A version of this story also appeared later on the UT Texas Global website.
Students from The University of Texas at Austin will spend the summer in Central and South America working on democracy and election assistance through a new partnership between UT’s Department of Government and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Continue reading UT, IDEA, and CCP Partner to Engage Students in Democracy AidThis story originally appeared on the UT Government Department website.
The UT Government Department hosted partners from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), kicking off a new collaboration that will send UT graduate and undergraduate students to work with IDEA on democracy and election assistance in the field.
Continue reading UT GOV Hosts Partners from International IDEAThe Embedded Scholars Program is an innovative research fellowship focused jointly on democracy assistance and research to launch students’ work in the field while advancing democratic development in Latin America. The program is based in the UT Government Department and developed in partnership with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Comparative Constitutions Project (CCP). The program is led by Zachary Elkins and Ashley Moran.
Continue reading Embedded Scholars Program Names 2023 Fellows
