By Rendon Reinarz, Graduate of the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs
This summer, I am lucky to experience multiple cultures during my summer internship for the National Democratic Institute (NDI). While I am working with the NDI Ukraine team, I was unable to travel to Ukraine for my internship due to the ongoing war and have been placed in Kosovo for the summer. In many ways, I get the best of both worlds: I have had the privilege to live and experience Balkan culture and hospitality while contributing to work that I find particularly relevant to help Ukrainian democratic institutions as they continue to fight for their future in the context of war and Russian aggression.
Continue reading Reflections of War on Democracy in Ukraine and Kosovo →
UT Government PhD student Angela Fraioli and LBJ School 2026 graduate Rendon Reinarz spent this summer in the Embedded Scholars Program, gaining experience in democracy building in Kosovo and Ukraine while garnering a deeper understanding of how conflicts shape political institutions and civic life during and after those conflicts.
Continue reading Students Reflect on Democracy, Resilience, Legacy of War in Kosovo and Ukraine →
The University of Texas at Austin’s Embedded Scholars program is sending its 2026 cohort to the Balkans, Eurasia, and Latin America this summer to support democracy and electoral assistance programs abroad this summer. In Latin America, the fellows will work in the CID Gallup headquarters in Panama, and in International IDEA’s Chile Country Office. In the Balkans and Eurasia, the fellows will work with the National Democratic Institute’s offices in Albania, Armenia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Ukraine.
Continue reading 2026 Embedded Scholars Head to Balkans, Eurasia, Latin America →
A research exchange program at the University of Texas at Austin supporting student work abroad in democratic and constitutional development