BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Social Science Research Council (SSRC) - ECPv6.17.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.ssrc.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Social Science Research Council (SSRC) REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260305T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260305T213000 DTSTAMP:20260820T154105Z CREATED:20260212T214529Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T154105Z UID:10000912-1772740800-1772746200@www.ssrc.org SUMMARY:Guarding the Pillars of Democracy: Legislative Transparency and the Future of Governance in Asia DESCRIPTION:In an era marked by a global democratic recession\, Asia stands at a critical juncture. The region increasingly faces executive aggrandizement\, where political leaders gradually dismantle institutional checks\, threatening the integrity of governance systems. This Abe Fellows Global Forum presents a pioneering response to this transnational challenge: the co-creation of the Asian Parliamentary Transparency Index (APTI). Spearheaded by the Asian Alliance for Parliamentary Openness\, this initiative moves beyond standard political analysis to engage in strategic democratic engineering. By operationalizing a novel assessment framework\, we are establishing a future-proof system of diagonal accountability—empowering civil society to constrain power and demand openness when traditional vertical and horizontal mechanisms fail. Drawing on Japan’s established leadership in digital governance and e-participation\, this project bridges the gap between academic scholarship and policy practice. It unites scholars and Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations (PMOs) from across Asia to design robust safety nets for legislative integrity. This forum explores how transnational civil society networks are not merely observing political decline but actively constructing the infrastructure for democratic resilience. Join us to examine how rigorous\, evidence-based transparency tools can safeguard the human condition and protect the rights of future generations against the encroachment of authoritarianism. \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jonathan Corpus Ong\n GloTech / UMass Amherst \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Marcelo Alves\n Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Raquel Recuero\n Federal University of Pelotas \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ethan Zuckerman\n GloTech / UMass Amherst \n \n \n \n \nAbout Abe Global\nThe Abe Fellows Global Forum (Abe Global) brings Abe Fellow research and expertise on pressing issues of global concern to broader audiences. Abe Global hosts events each year in partnership with academic and civic organizations throughout the United States. Abe Global is an initiative of the Abe Fellows Network\, the Social Science Research Council\, and the Japan Foundation New York. \nPast Abe Global Events URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/guarding-the-pillars-of-democracy-legislative-transparency-and-the-future-of-governance-in-asia/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://www.ssrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/photo-1730808822974-b21a29d64055.avif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261205 DTSTAMP:20260915T143608Z CREATED:20260806T180042Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T143608Z UID:10000915-1796342400-1796428799@www.ssrc.org SUMMARY:Schools of Democracy: Higher Education and Social Capital Formation DESCRIPTION:Event Details\nEvent Date: December 4\, 2026\nLocation: Westin Grand Central\, New York\, NY \nOn Friday\, December 4\, 2026\, the Social Science Research Council will convene institutional leaders from the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, together with leaders of philanthropic organizations and other research partners. Our theme for this year’s conference will be “Schools of Democracy: Higher Education and Social Capital Formation.” \nAre today’s colleges and universities schools of democracy? At a time when institutions are under increasing scrutiny and strain\, this conference will examine how higher education can strengthen social networks\, build shared values\, and bolster civic trust. Speakers include Robert Putnam (Harvard)\, author of “Bowling Alone” and “The Upswing\,” as well as Hahrie Han (Johns Hopkins)\, author of “Undivided” and “How Organizations Develop Activists” and Margaret Levi (Stanford)\, author of “Of Rule and Revenue” and “Consent\, Dissent\, and Patriotism.” \nRegister Here \nInstitutions\, including those of democracy\, exist to solve collective action problems like free-riding and the tragedy of the commons. Together\, we will consider higher education’s critical role not just in developing human capital that enables individuals to compete in the job market\, but also in developing social capital that enables groups to cooperate on overcoming shared challenges. \nThis year’s conference will be held at the Westin Grand Central in midtown Manhattan\, with the program running from 10:00am – 5:00pm and a reception immediately following\, from 5:00-7:00pm. We will open the day with a Deans’ Breakfast at the SSRC’s new office space nearby\, open to registration from deans overseeing the social and behavioral sciences. \nFor more information about the conference or the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, please contact Lisa Marshall\, SSRC Chief of Staff\, at marshall@ssrc.org. \nRSVP Form\n URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2026-cuf-rsvp/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.ssrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/iStock-1396137099.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261205 DTSTAMP:20260915T143517Z CREATED:20260729T200311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T143517Z UID:10000914-1796342400-1796428799@www.ssrc.org SUMMARY:Schools of Democracy: Higher Education and Social Capital Formation DESCRIPTION:Event Details\nEvent Date: December 4\, 2026\nLocation: Westin Grand Central\, New York\, NY \nOn Friday\, December 4\, 2026\, the Social Science Research Council will convene institutional leaders from the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, together with leaders of philanthropic organizations and other research partners. Our theme for this year’s conference will be “Schools of Democracy: Higher Education and Social Capital Formation.” \nAre today’s colleges and universities schools of democracy? At a time when institutions are under increasing scrutiny and strain\, this conference will examine how higher education can strengthen social networks\, build shared values\, and bolster civic trust. Speakers include Robert Putnam (Harvard)\, author of “Bowling Alone” and “The Upswing\,” as well as Hahrie Han (Johns Hopkins)\, author of “Undivided” and “How Organizations Develop Activists” and Margaret Levi (Stanford)\, author of “Of Rule and Revenue” and “Consent\, Dissent\, and Patriotism.” \nRegister Here \nInstitutions\, including those of democracy\, exist to solve collective action problems like free-riding and the tragedy of the commons. Together\, we will consider higher education’s critical role not just in developing human capital that enables individuals to compete in the job market\, but also in developing social capital that enables groups to cooperate on overcoming shared challenges. \nThis year’s conference will be held at the Westin Grand Central in midtown Manhattan\, with the program running from 10:00am – 5:00pm and a reception immediately following\, from 5:00-7:00pm. We will open the day with a Deans’ Breakfast at the SSRC’s new office space nearby\, open to registration from deans overseeing the social and behavioral sciences. \nConference registration is open to attendees from member institutions of the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences. For more information about the conference or the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences\, please contact Lisa Marshall\, SSRC Chief of Staff\, at marshall@ssrc.org. \nRSVP Form\n URL:https://www.ssrc.org/events/2026-college-and-university-fund-conference-rsvp/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.ssrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/iStock-1396137099.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR