BUA Institution

Freie Universität - Excellence Cluster SCRIPTS (Contestations of the Liberal Script)

Description of Research

Authoritarianism, Democratization, State-Building, Nationalism, Violence, Comparative-Historical Analysis, Southeast Asia

Where in the world has your career been largely based until now?

University of Chicago (assistant professor 2005-2017), University of Michigan (full professor 2017-present).

Why Berlin?

Visiting fellowship with the SCRIPTS program.

What major short-term goal are you currently working towards with your research?

Advancing a new book project on democratic and cultural pluralism in Indonesia and Malaysia.

How did you become interested in your specific topic?

Experiencing the authoritarian crackdown in Malaysia in 1998 as a visiting research scholar, while watching the neighboring dictatorship in Indonesia break down instead of crack down.

How does the academic culture in Berlin differ from the academic culture you are used to?

I love the low boundaries between different universities in the city.

What would your advice be for colleagues at home interested in a research stay in Berlin?

Come soon and come often!