The workshop on the “Politics of International Development,” organized by Professor Austin Strange, concluded successfully on November 5th, 2025, at the University of Hong Kong campus.
Initiated by Professor Strange, whose ongoing research analyzes the domestic and international politics of major infrastructure projects around the world, the workshop brought together political scientists and students from the US, Germany and Hong Kong, China to present and critique the latest research projects in this field.
The workshop featured eight presentations, divided into two main sessions: “Development Finance” and “Development, Elections, and Democracy.” Covering a broad range of central actors in international development, including international organizations, states, and civil society, the workshop fostered a laissez-faire environment that encouraged open and vibrant academic discussions. (Refer to the end of the article for the workshop agenda.)
Participants included four distinguished scholars from the US and Germany:
- Professor Matthew S. Winters, University of Illinois, who presented on “Japanese Attitudes Toward National Security Posture and Development Assistance,” and delivered a public talk titled “Persistent Citizens: Pursuing Social Welfare Benefits in Brazil and Argentina” to HKU community and the public in Hong Kong the following day;
- Professor Ayse Kaya Orloff, Swarthmore College, and adjunct at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania), who presented on “International Organizations & Global Public Goods: Climate Finance from the World Bank”
- Professor Ryan Powers, University of Georgia, and Director of the Center for International Trade and Security;
- Tilmann Waffenschmidt, a Ph.D. candidate at Heidelberg University, who presented on “Ballots, Borders, and Election Cycles: How Elections Influence Migration Politics” in the workshop.
Workshop agenda:
- Cecilia Borella (HKU) and Enze Han (HKU), “Ambivalent Sexism and Public Receptivity toward Gender Aid.“
- Matthew S. Winters (Illinois) et al., “Japanese Attitudes Toward National Security Posture and Development Assistance.”
- Yiqiang Wang (HKU) and Zhengjia Yuan (HKU), “Can Chinese state propaganda use political nostalgia as a tool to persuade domestic audiences to support foreign aid? “
- Ayse Kaya (Swarthmore), “The World Bank’s Climate Finance as a Global Public Good:
Allocation Dynamics, Catalytic & Greening Impacts.“
- Irene Fanglin Liu (HKU), “Who Goes Global? Conditions Shaping Chinese NGOs’ Transnational Participation.”
- Tilmann Waffenschmidt (Heidelberg), “Ballots, Borders, and Election Cycles:
How Elections Influence Migration Politics.“
- Dov Levin (HKU), “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished? Public Opinion on Media Refusal to Publish Materials Deriving from Foreign Election Interference Attempts.”
- Jiangnan Zhu (HKU) and Jianbing Li (HKU), “Democracy or Not, We People Own the Claim: Authoritarian Reconstruction of Democracy.”
