Photo Recap (Sunday, 13 July) - 2025 IPSA World Congress Highlights
Publication date: Mon, 14 Jul 2025
The #IPSA2025 World Congress of Political Science officially kicked off on 13 July at the Coex Convention Center in Seoul. The opening day featured welcoming remarks by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a keynote address by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the IPSA Guillermo O’Donnell Award lecture, a moving tribute to the late IPSA Past President Leonardo Morlino, and engaging academic discussions across 219 sessions and events.
Plenary: Liberal Democracy, Multilateralism and Global Citizenship
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed participants of the 2025 IPSA World Congress in a plenary on Liberal Democracy, Multilateralism, and Global Citizenship. In his presentation, he reflected on the founding vision of the United Nations—a world free of war, guided by peace and security, economic development, and human rights.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers his plenary address.
Ban Ki-moon and Program Co-Chair Irasema Coronado during the Q&A session.
Ban Ki-moon and IPSA President Pablo Oñate before the plenary address.
Ban Ki-moon and WC2025 Co-Chair Irasema Coronado.
IPSA Guillermo O’Donnell Award for Latin American Scholars Lecture
Guillermo O’Donnell’s academic legacy was honored on the opening day of the 2025 IPSA World Congress. Carlos Pereira, the recipient of the inaugural IPSA Guillermo O’Donnell Award, delivered an award lecture titled Between Threat and Breakdown: Understanding Democratic Resistance in Latin America.
Gabriela Ippolito-O'Donnell, Jesús Tovar and Carlos Pereira.
Gabriela Ippolito-O'Donnell and Jesús Tovar.
The 2025 IPSA Guillermo O’Donnell Award recipient Carlos Pereira.
In Memoriam: Honoring Professor Leonardo Morlino
A special roundtable was held in memory of former IPSA President Leonardo Morlino, who passed away on 17 June 2025. Chaired by WC2025 Program Co-Chair Azul A. Aguiar Aguilar, the tribute brought together Prof. Morlino’s colleagues and former students to honor his scholarly legacy and reflect on the enduring relevance of his work on comparative politics, democratization, and political regimes.
Photo (left to right): Azul A. Aguiar Aguilar, Marianne Kneuer, Luca Tomini, Donatella Della Porta, Mauro Calise, and Pablo Oñate.
IPSA President Pablo Oñate.
Photo (left to right): Luca Tomini, Marianne Kneuer, Azul A. Aguiar Aguilar, Mauro Calise, Donatella Della Porta and Pablo Oñate.
Professional Development Café: Meet the Editors – Publishing in Leading Journals
Four interactive café-style events are dedicated to students and early-career scholars at the 2025 IPSA World Congress. The first event, Publishing in Leading Journals, provided insights into navigating the complexities of academic publishing and addressing structural barriers.
Speakers:
Prof. Asaf Siniver | Co-Editor-in-Chief of International Affairs
Dr. Rosalie Hall | Editor of International Studies Perspectives
Dr. Annika Hinze | Editor of the International Political Science Review
Dr. Caterina Froio | Editor in Chief of the European Journal of Political Research and editor of the Routledge series Extremism & Democracy
LOC Roundtable – Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies: The Role of Academia
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) hosted a timely roundtable on Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies: The Role of Academia. Chaired by Euiyoung Kim, the discussion featured scholars from academia and global political science associations.
Research Method Courses
The Research Methods Courses are a long-standing tradition at the IPSA World Congress, providing state-of-the-art training on recent advances in research methods across various fields. At the 2025 edition, two courses were offered on 12 July. Emre Toros led the first course, Text as Data with R, while Manfred Max Bergman taught the second, Mixed Methods Research and Designs.
Opening Ceremony & Welcome Reception
The Opening Ceremony of the 2025 IPSA World Congress was a memorable occasion that marked the start of IPSA’s flagship event and a record-breaking edition in Seoul. The ceremony started with a live performance of Mugo by the National Dance Company, followed by a cocktail reception. The ceremony welcomed over 1,000 delegates and featured South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, addresses the delegates of the IPSA World Congress.
President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, addresses the delegates of the IPSA World Congress.
IPSA President Pablo Oñate delivers the opening address at the World Congress.
IPSA Executive Director Kim Fontaine-Skronski.
WC2025 Program Co-Chairs Azul A. Aguiar Aguilar and Irasema Coronado.
Local Organizing Committee Co-Chair, Euiyoung Kim.
The National Dance Company of Korea.
The National Dance Company of Korea.
