The Comparative Politics subfield at the Department of Politics and Public Administration is home to dynamic research on a wide range of themes, including formal and informal institutions under different regimes, comparative political economy, bureaucratic and elite politics, public opinions, and political behaviours.

Members of the subfield bring expertise from regions such as Greater China, East and Southeast Asia, Europe, and beyond, fostering global perspectives in research and teaching. Methodologically, the subfield is diverse, encompassing formal theory, computational methods, quantitative analysis, and qualitative research. Many faculty and graduate students use mixed methods to tackle original topics with significant implications for a changing world, such as political trust, social equity and representation, regime resilience and transitions, corruption, technological innovation, and China’s global rise. Several members have received awards for their outstanding teaching and research contributions.

The PPA department promotes a collaborative and inclusive intellectual environment, encouraging students to engage deeply with a variety of methodological approaches and substantive areas. The subfield is committed to analytical rigor and evidence-based approach to identifying and rethinking critical issues of our time.