Assoc ProfessorAlexander Dukalskis

My name is Alex Dukalskis and I am the Head of School of the School of Politics and International Relations. I research and teach on authoritarian states, Asian politics, and international human rights. My work has been published in several leading academic journals, including International Organization, Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Democracy, Government & Opposition, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Democratization. My first book, The Authoritarian Public Sphere, was published in 2017. My second book, Making the World Safe for Dictatorship, was published in 2021 by Oxford University Press. My third book, co-authored with Alexander Cooley, Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics, was published by Oxford University Press in 2025. It was named by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the "most anticipated titles of 2025" and was a recommended read by The Atlantic. 

I earned my dual Ph.D. in political science and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, a master's degree in human rights at the London School of Economics, and my undergraduate degree from Willamette University. My research interests grew out of my prior professional work with the non-profit International Debate Education Association (IDEA). For several years I worked in over 20 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa to teach debate and promote it among young people as a tool to improve critical thinking and advocacy. You can reach me via email at alexander [dot] dukalskis at ucd [dot] ie or follow me on Twitter @AlexDukalskis or on Bluesky at @alexdukalskis.bsky.social. I am a frequent contributor to national and international media, appearing in outlets such as the BBC, Washington Post, New Yorker, Associated Press, and the Irish Times, among many others.