Mexico's democracy is experiencing profound changes following a constitutional amendment affecting the independence of the country's judicial branch. Concerns are rising about its autonomous institutions, including the electoral system, falling into the government's hands. Join IIS in examining these changes and the dangers facing Mexico's democracy and economic development.
April 10, 2026 | 4 - 7 PM | VLSB 2040 (Valley Life Sciences Building)
The Alexander Hamilton Society is invites you to a special screening of the award-winning PBS documentary Invisible Nation.
Invisible Nation invites viewers on an unprecedented journey with Taiwan’s first female president as she works to secure her nation’s future. The film offers an in-depth look at Taiwan’s past, present, and uncertain future. As a young democracy...
March 10, 2026 | 12:30 - 2 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall
Learn About Bangladesh’s 2024 July Revolution, the newly elected Bangladesh National Party, recent reforms, and the impact that its February 2026 elections will have on the nation’s future. IIS will screen a recent Stimson Center webinar examining the outcomes and implications of Bangladesh’s pivotal parliamentary elections, held at a critical turning point for the country. The discussion will explore how a sweeping victory by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the approval of a constitutional referendum are reshaping...
IIS Spring 2026 Speaker Series: The U.S. and the Fate of World Order
Rupture #1: Democracy and Human Rights
For decades the US’s role in the world has been grounded in democratic values as well as often contradictory economic and security interests that have contributed to both global...
Jessica Olney joined the Institute of International Studies the Executive Director in January 2026.
Jess brings extensive international experience as a practitioner and researcher on conflict, peacebuilding, human rights, and humanitarian response. She has led studies for and advised various governments, embassies, international NGOs, UN agencies, universities, institutional and private donors, and the International Criminal Court. She is passionate about working with students, and has trained dozens of refugee youth to lead research, advocacy, and humanitarian...
Susan D. Hyde is the Robson Professor of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley, where she was Chair of the Department of Political Science (AY 2021-2024) and is co-director of the Institute of International Studies (2021- ). She studies international...
February 26, 2026 | 12:30 - 2:00 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall
Nearly 80 percent of Myanmar’s territory is now either contested or controlled by anti-junta resistance groups. Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Minister of Human Rights for Myanmar’s pro-democracy government-in-exile, will offer an analysis of Myanmar’s rapidly evolving conflict and political landscape, explaining the advance of resistance forces over the past year.
He will discuss the regime’s recent elections, widely considered a sham to entrench junta rule. What does the electoral process mean...
February 5, 2026 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall
Denise Dresser is an academic, public intellectual, columnist, and activist. Her work focuses on Mexican democratization, corruption, the construction of citizenship, and political economy issues from a comparative perspective.
February 12, 2026 | 3:30 - 5:00 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall
Join the UC Berkeley Institute of International Studies, Center for African Studies, and The Charles & Louise Travers Department of Political Science for a book talk with author Chipo Dendere, Associate Professor of Political Science, Africana Studies Department, Wellesley College.
May 2, 2025 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM | Banatao Auditorium
The conference aims to bring together leading scholars and practitioners together to analyze, debate, propose solutions to several contemporary challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to provide an opportunity for Berkeley students, faculty, alumni, and Bay Area international affairs professionals to engage with leading scholars, practitioners, and journalists regarding issues of contemporary importance.
