IR/PS Professor Edmund Malesky receives Gabriel A. Almond Award for Best Dissertation in Comparative Politics
09/16/2005
Paula Cichocka,
Assistant Professor Edmund Malesky of the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) received the Gabriel A. Almond Award for this year's best dissertation in comparative politics. IR/PS Dean Peter Cowhey comments that "the questions of what drives economic growth and political transformation are pivotal for this century. Prof. Malesky is part of a new generation of scholars who rigorously combine advanced economic analysis with the latest insights from political science about the politics of autocratic countries in order to answer these questions. His work will transform our understanding of Vietnam and many comparable countries." In his dissertation Malesky explored how foreign direct investors bargain with local politicians to create a better environment for development and how this tends to shift power to localities from the central government's autocrats. Malesky used Vietnam as his case study but also used data from other countries confirm his findings. Malesky's research interests are comparative politics, political economy, and economic transitions in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. He was one of three recipients of the prestigious Harvard Academy for International Development post-doctoral fellowships in 2003-2004. He also served as a consultant for the World Bank, The Asia Foundation and German Technical Cooperation in Vietnam. Malesky received his Ph.D. in political science from Duke University and joined IR/PS in July 2005. The Gabriel A. Almond Award was created in recognition of Gabriel Almond's contributions to the discipline, the profession and the American Political Science Association (APSA). Almond was a long-time faculty member at Stanford University and former APSA President. Almond's scholarly work contributed to the development of theory in comparative politics and joined research on developing regions and Western Europe to prevent them from splintering into an array of disparate area studies. Malesky has also been named the runner-up for the Mancur Olson award (APSA Political Economy section) for the best dissertation completed and accepted in the previous two years, for his dissertation entitled "At Provincial Gates: The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Provincial Autonomy and Economic Reform." Established in 1986, UCSD's Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) is the premiere and only U.S. professional school offering business-savvy training with a focus on policy, economics and technology in the Pacific Rim. IR/PS is shaping the Pacific Century by training its leaders, creating ideas and supporting networks to build a Pacific community. More information on the graduate program and its faculty can be found on its web site at: http://irps.ucsd.edu. IR/PS Media Contact: Paula Cichocka, (858) 534-1465, pcichocka@ucsd.edu
