BridgeGap will actively participate in the 28th IPSA World Congress of Political Science, taking place in Seoul, South Korea, from July 12-16, 2025. This premier international gathering, organized biennially by the International Political Science Association (IPSA), brings together leading academics, researchers, and consultants to discuss the latest research under the timely theme of “Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies”.
BridgeGap will contribute to this important conference through the following sessions and presentations, often in collaboration with RESPOND:
BridgeGap & RESPOND Joint Sessions
Panel “Paradoxes in Anti-Corruption Governance”
Date and Time: July 14, 2025, 17:30 to 19:15
Description: Co-chaired by Manoel Gehrke (University of Pisa), with Fernanda Odilla (University of Bologna) and Dr. Manoel Gehrke as discussants, and Denisse Rodriguez Olivari (University of Glasgow) as a paper presenter. This panel will facilitate a deep dive into the complex and often contradictory outcomes of anti-corruption initiatives. It explores how anti-corruption measures interact with political systems, institutional frameworks, and economic environments, revealing paradoxes that challenge conventional approaches. The session aims to unravel these interactions, shedding light on the challenges in aligning anti-corruption efforts with broader governance goals like transparency and accountability.
Panel “Critical Reflections on (Anti-)Corruption: Assessing Emerging Concepts, Metrics, and Theories”
Date & Time: July 15, 2025, 11:00-12:45
Description: Chaired by Manoel Gehrke and co-chaired by Fernanda Odilla, this session offers a critical appraisal of the evolving landscape of corruption and anti-corruption. It specifically seeks to integrate non-Western perspectives and experiences from the Global South, challenging traditional Northern viewpoints on how corruption is conceptualized, measured, and experienced.
BridgeGap’s Broader Contributions to the Congress:
• Presenting at the “Courts and the Rule of Law in Resisting Autocratization” Roundtable
Date and Time: July 15, 2025, 15:30-16:45
Manoel Gehrke will present “Courts on the Edge: Inter-Branch Conflict and the Politics of Anti-Corruption.”
Description: This critical roundtable will explore the paradoxical role of courts in confronting democratic erosion, navigating how judiciaries, particularly in Latin American and African contexts, grapple with pressures from authoritarian regimes – sometimes upholding the rule of law, at other times being instrumentalized to undermine democracy.
• Presenting at the “Institutional Change in Anti-Corruption Policies” Panel
Date and Time: July 16, 2025, 17:30-19:15
Manoel Gehrke will present “Politicians Fight Back: How Convicting Former Leaders for Corruption Impact Judicial Independence and Powers,” co-authored with Luciano Da Ros.
Salvatore Sberna will present “Judges on the Move: Assessing the Impact of Judges’ Mobility on the Fight against Organized Crime and Corruption.”
Description: This panel will delve into the dynamic interplay between institutional change and corruption control, particularly in the context of global transactions, organized crime, and their impact on democratic governance.
• “Quantitative Perspectives on Corruption and Economic Inequality” Panel
Date and Time: July 11, 2025, 11:00
Presentations: Lucio Picci (University of Bologna) will present “Unpacking compliance and ‘leakages’ in international regimes: the case of the OECD anti-bribery convention” (with L. Crippa & E. Malesky), Luis de Sousa (ICS-ULisboa) and Denisse Rodriguez Olivari will join as discussants.
Description: This panel brings together scholars specializing in the study of economic inequality and corruption, two interrelated topics recently analyzed in conjunction.
If you are at IPSA, join these insightful sessions and engage with BridgeGap and RESPOND researchers at the 28th IPSA World Congress. For more information on the 28th IPSA World Congress, please visit: https://www.ipsa.org/events/congress/seoul2025