Members of the Political Science Department are part of an international research network that has recently won a generous grant from the German Leibniz Foundation for collaborative research uniting academic institutions in America and in Europe.

Faculty members Christoph Stefes and Betcy Jose will soon start to collaborate with colleagues from Cornell University, University of Texas Austin, the Social Research Center Berlin, and other prestigious universities and research institutes on this project. Commencing in July 2014, the network will focus on the international dimensions of authoritarian rule, addressing questions such as "Do authoritarian powers promote non-democratic rule abroad?" employing quantitative and qualitative research methods. As part of the network, Christoph Stefes, Betcy Jose and other colleagues from the department will attend joint workshops and take part in exchange programs. The department will in return host visiting scholars from Europe. The Leibniz Foundation-funded network is led by the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA).