The American Political Science Association (APSA), in collaboration with the Japanese Political Science Association (JPSA), was recently awarded a grant from the Japan Foundation to support civically engaged research on some of the critical issues in our societies. This multi-year program brings together scholars from American and Japanese universities in a series of conference Working Groups held alongside the APSA and JPSA annual meetings.
The three-year project on “Civically Engaged Research for Critical Issues in Society” will consist of annual Working Groups, each focusing on a different research theme. Approximately 20 fellows will be competitively selected for each working group. Together with three senior scholars, attendees will share and improve research towards publication, explore best practices and strategies for undertaking civically engaged research, and develop new scholarly networks. Each four-day program will include a unique schedule of lectures, peer review sessions, and meetings with members of local civil society organizations. At the same time, attendees will be encouraged to attend the many topical and professional development activities available across the full annual meeting program.
The product of these Working Groups will be a network of early-career scholars from Japan and the United States who are well-grounded in civically engaged research design and methodology, knowledgeable of the current literature and theoretical debates surrounding key contemporary issues, and closely connected to a variety of supportive scholarly communities. The project is guided by a Steering Committee, including: Kenneth McElwain (University of Tokyo), Kristin Vekasi (University of Maine), Yosuke Sunahara (Kobe University), and Robert Pekkanen (University of Washington).
2024 “CER FOR CIS” WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
The inaugural Working Group took place at the September 2024 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Philadelphia, PA. The program theme was Environmental Politics. This year brought together 16 scholars, three co-leaders, and four guest speakers focusing on issues of environmental politics and civic engagement. The program was facilitated by Kenneth McElwain (University of Tokyo), Kristin Vekasi (University of Maine), and Katherine Tegtmeyer Pak (St. Olaf College). Participants included:
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• Ornicha Boonpanya, Waseda University
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• Aparajita Datta, University of Houston
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• Jeff Feng, Northwestern University
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• Pei-Hsun Hsieh, University of Pennsylvania
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• Colin Moreshead, Yale University
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• Ikuma Ogura, Hitotsubashi University
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• Yuto Ota, University of California, Los Angeles
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• Dai Sasaki, University of Tokyo
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• Sayaka Sogabe, University of Tokyo
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• Tomoko Takahashi, Kyoto University
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• Pinar Temocin, University of Tokyo
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• Rahardhika Utama, Northwestern University
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• Hanjie Wang, Boston University
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• Joseph Warren, University of Alaska Anchorage
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• Toshiaki Yoshida, Northeastern University
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• Shan Zhou, Purdue University
Guest speakers Hahrie Han (Johns Hopkins University) and Phillip Lipscy (University of Toronto) further enriched key themes through presentations of their independent research. Han provided a practical, in-depth look into her work utilizing civically engaged research methodology in the American context, while Lipscy highlighted the institutional politics of energy and climate change with a comparative focus on the United States and Japan. The program also featured an engaging discussion on environmental justice and economic empowerment in Philadelphia with two local community practitioners: Mariel Featherstone, Graduate Coordinator, University of Pennsylvania and member of the Philadelphia Environmental Justice Advisory Commission, and Rebecca Davies, Co-Founder, Remark Glass and Bottle Underground.
APSA and JPSA are grateful for the opportunity to engage with such phenomenal scholars. Thank you to all who made this program a success!
The 2025 Working Group will take place at the JPSA Annual Meeting in Tokyo, Japan in October 2025. The call for applications will be shared on the project website on “Civically Engaged Research for Critical Issues in Society” this spring. Please email asiaworkshops@apsanet.org if you are interested in getting involved. ■
Submit at: https://apsanet.org/programs/apsa-awards/
