Over the past two weeks, I had the pleasure of organizing two events: “Migration between Justice and Democracy: Rethinking Border Openness” and “Resilient Democratization: Social and Political Change in Iran and Beyond.” I’m happy to share that both went very well!
Many thanks to our wonderful speakers, Nathan Pippenger (US Naval Academy) and Norma Claire Moruzzi (University of Illinois Chicago), and to all the faculty and students who joined us.
I’m truly grateful for all the support for the IGS Global Migration and Diaspora program and the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College.
April 10, 2026
Had a great time at ISA 2026 in Columbus, OH this week. During the panels and discussions, two things stood out to me:
- What is the foundation of peace studies? Does the study of negative peace necessarily exclude the study of positive peace? What binds scholars of peace studies together?
- Isn’t the postcolonial claim of endless negation based on a particular understanding of freedom? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a view of freedom?
I deeply appreciated the comments and suggestions on my two papers, especially those from the discussants—Susan Allen, David Chandler, and Sausan Ghosheh. I look forward to next year’s ISA meeting in Atlanta!
March 27, 2026
Just heard from the editor that the board has approved my book manuscript, Arendtian Peace, and it is now under full contract with the University of Pennsylvania Press. I’m overjoyed by this outcome and look forward to completing the revisions by August!
March 19, 2026
Yesterday, I delivered a talk as part of the Carol Rifelj Lecture Series. The talk shares its title with my book manuscript, Arendtian Peace: Transforming Conflict through Worldly Politics. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to present my research at this college-wide event and deeply appreciated the thoughtful comments and questions from the audience, which included friends, colleagues, and students!
March 12, 2026
Delighted to share that my article, “Beyond Truth: A Politics of Reality in Arendt and Bonhoeffer,” is now available on the Cambridge University Press website for The Review of Politics. It was a long process, but a very rewarding one. Please feel free to share it with anyone interested in Arendt, Bonhoeffer, or the broader field of religion and politics. Thank you!
February 9, 2026
Oxford University Press has sent me a “Reviewer Certificate” to honor my contribution as a peer reviewer for one of its academic journals. It didn’t come with cash or a book-purchase coupon, but it’s nice to have my work formally acknowledged! : )
January 16, 2026
I recently served as a judge for the first round of the Spencer Prize in Oratory for first-year students at Middlebury College. It was a real pleasure to see the creative ways students talked about their learning experiences. The speeches were about how they take what they’ve learned in class and apply it to their own lives, and we focused on whether the presentations were compelling, well-organized, and engaging. Everyone did great work—it definitely brought back memories of my own college days!
January 9, 2026
In 2025, I organized four lectures at Middlebury College. As a Faculty Fellow at the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs (RCGA), I helped RCGA sponsor the lecture “Protest and Policy” by David Cortright on October 16. I also served as an event organizer for “Restorative Justice and Lived Religion,” a lecture by Jason Springs on October 23. In my role as Director of the Global Migration and Diaspora track in International and Global Studies, I organized two Zoom lectures: “Politics or Morality? Normative Responses to Refugee Crises” by Felix Bender on October 29, and “Arendt, Crimmigration, and Refugee Obligations” by Kathleen Arnold on April 7.
In 2025, I presented my work at four professional conferences: the Hannah Arendt Circle (Chicago), the Western Political Science Association (Seattle), the 28th World Congress of the International Political Science Association (Seoul), and the American Political Science Association (Vancouver). I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with outstanding scholars, whose insightful feedback continues to shape my ongoing research.
Shinkyu Lee 