/ News, Research, Events
Ralph Weber Gave a Lecture at ECPR General Conference in Dublin
Ralph Weber presented his research on identifying responsible actors of transnational repression for the Chinese Party-State at the ECPR General Conference, which took place from 12 to 15 August 2024, in Dublin. His lecture was on the panel titled "Transnational Repression: Dynamics of State Coercion Across Borders," chaired by Alexander Dukalski, University College Dublin. The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) organized the conference, which was held at the University College Dublin.
In his lecture, Ralph Weber focused on the lack of clarity in identifying the responsible actors involved in transnational repression, with vague references to China, its government, police, or secret agents. This ambiguity is also reflected in advocacy and academic work, making it challenging to classify actions as "transnational repression." Weber emphasized the importance of accurately attributing these actions to specific entities within the Chinese Party-State and examined cases where such attribution has been legally established. He concluded by discussing the significance of attribution in understanding and addressing transnational repression.
The ECPR General Conference began in 2001 in Canterbury, UK, and became an annual event in 2014. The conference features sections and panels organized around common themes, bringing together political science scholars for discussion and research advancement. The ECPR, founded in 1970, is a European academic association with a mission to advance political science. It was established by a group of twelve founding European universities and as the result of a project led by the political scientists, Jean Blondel and Stein Rokkan.
Ralph Weber is Professor for European Global Studies at the Institute for European Global Studies. He specialises on Political Theory, Chinese Politics and modern Confucianism. Currently, he is the President of the European Association for Chinese Philosophy and the Chair of the Section on Political Theory in the Swiss Political Science Association.