Sebastian Dettman joins the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) as the 2018-2019 Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellow in Contemporary Asia.  He researches party building, electoral competition, and political representation in newly democratic and authoritarian regimes, with a focus on Southeast Asia.  His dissertation examines the dilemmas faced by Malaysia’s opposition parties in expanding electoral support and building coalitions, and the implications for regime liberalization. His research has been supported by grants including the NSEP Boren Fellowship, the USINDO Sumitro Fellowship, and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.

At Shorenstein APARC, Seb will work on developing his dissertation into a book manuscript and make progress on his next project on regime-opposition policy interactions in authoritarian regimes.  He obtained his doctorate in the Department of Government at Cornell University.  Prior to his doctorate, Seb received an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Michigan. He has also worked as a consultant and researcher for organizations including the Asia Foundation, the International Crisis Group, and the Carter Center.