“Democracy is more than just the process of freely and fairly electing a government; democracy is about identity.” Last month, I had the opportunity to attend and present at a democracy conference hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As 2024 marks the biggest year for democratic elections worldwide, expecting over four billion voters to go to the polls across over sixty countries and five continents, the conference highlighted the intricate dynamics of electoral politics around the world, and especially in Asia. The transformative experience of attending and presenting my research at a conference for the first time was exhilarating and enlightening in diverse ways!
Through the Kellogg International Scholars Program, I have the privilege of working with Professor Susan Ostermann on a range of projects. For this conference, our paper was titled “Hacking the 2024 Indian General Elections: How India-China Cybersecurity Battles Came to be an Electoral Non-Issue,” and it was co-authored and presented with Poulomi Ghosh (Master of Global Affairs student). As an Indian voter myself, I often questioned why Indian foreign policy, particularly the Indo-China rivalry, was rarely ever an electoral campaign issue, despite the growing tensions between the neighboring nations.
As we engaged with the research, our findings revealed that the cyberattacks were largely one-sided and initiated by China, with India’s major retaliation being the decision to ban TikTok in 2020 (despite being the biggest market for TikTok), following a violent border clash. Although India faced major cybersecurity threats from China, the discussion of China was marginal across India’s electoral campaigns, and a YouGov survey indicated that Indian voters regard unemployment, inflation and women’s safety to be bigger issues than border issues with China.
Given that this was not only my first time attending an academic conference, but also my first time presenting at one, I was both nervous and very excited for the opportunity. While presenting, I realized that I had engaged so personally with the research that sharing my insights came naturally to me, and I felt confident after seeing attentive faces in the audience. It was incredibly rewarding to see our work spark curiosity and dialogue among other presenters, and we continued conversations even after the conference ended. My participation in this conference has reiterated my belief that research is a continuously developing process, with every topic opening my mind up to new possibilities. After seeing the potential of exchanging ideas, I am determined to explore new pathways to engage with research and academic conferences.
What I loved most about this conference was the ability to connect with other panelists who specialized in researching democracies across a wide range of countries. The keynote presentation of Dr. Da-chi Liao, provided a theoretical foundation that resonated with me throughout the conference, highlighting how geopolitical tensions and national identity shape voter behavior. As I aspire to pave a career path focused on strengthening democracies worldwide, the exposure to various presentations on the vulnerabilities in the electoral processes, broadened my perspectives on possible factors that influence electoral currents.
At the dinner following the conference, the participants acknowledged each other’s efforts and showed a genuine willingness to learn from one another - it felt like a tight-knit community that I was grateful to be a part of! I eagerly anticipate the process of publishing our research and am thankful to Professor Ostermann, Poulomi Ghosh, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and the Kellogg Institute for enriching my undergraduate experience through this conference.