SU to host 2026 PPSA International Conference on democracy

Silliman University (SU), through its College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of History and Political Science, will host the 2026 Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA) International Conference on April 28-30, 2026, bringing scholars, academics, and students together for a three-day exchange on contemporary democratic challenges.

Carrying the theme “Democracy: Navigating the Tensions of Unity and Division,” the conference is expected to draw around 350 participants from across the Philippines and abroad. The gathering aims to provide a platform for critical discussions on democracy amid polarization, inequality, conflict, and emerging global and regional dynamics.

Headlining the conference are two internationally recognized scholars: Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman and former PPSA president; and Wataru Kusaka, Professor at the Graduate School of Global Studies of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Both keynote speakers are known for their influential work on politics, inequality, democracy, and elite power.

Beyond keynote lectures, the conference will feature panel discussions, paper presentations, and thematic sessions covering topics such as artificial intelligence and democracy, polarization and disinformation, grassroots movements, identity politics, governance, and peacebuilding. These conversations aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and deepen scholarly engagement with democratic issues affecting Southeast Asia and the wider global community.

By hosting the 2026 PPSA International Conference, SU reinforces its role as a hub for academic discourse and public engagement, providing a space where critical inquiry, democratic values, and scholarly collaboration converge.