About the International Forum for Democratic Studies
The International Forum for Democratic Studies is a leading center for research on global challenges facing democracies around the world. The International Forum seeks to bridge ideas and practice by convening experts and civil society leaders around cross-regional, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral learning to deepen understanding of these challenges and identify lessons to reverse the authoritarian wave and accelerate democratic renewal. Forum initiatives include publishing reports and commentary, housing fellowship programs for democracy activists and researchers, and organizing events.
Jump To: Research on Global Challenges to Democracy | Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship | Lipset Lecture | Connect With Us | Meet Our Staff
Research on Global Challenges to Democracy
The International Forum convenes and publishes research around four defining global challenges to democracy:
- Countering Authoritarian Influence – Read the concluding report in our Sharp Power and Democratic Resilience series looking at the vulnerabilities and strengths of open societies.
- Combating Transnational Kleptocracy – Read a report on developing a unified democratic response to the challenge of transnational kleptocracy.
- Defending the Integrity of the Information Space – Read a collection of essays on innovative perspectives and new interdisciplinary methods for countering disinformation.
- Emerging Technology and Democracy – Read a report on the global struggle over artificial intelligence-powered surveillance tools.
The Forum’s events, reports, and digital publications contribute to ongoing debates on democracy by elevating and bringing together voices from academia, think tanks, government, the private sector, and civil society. On the Power 3.0 blog and podcast, we invite leading experts to assess how new forms of authoritarian influence are reshaping the playing field on which democratic and illiberal values are contested. The Sharp Power Research Portal’s interactive map and regularly updated resource database illustrates how authoritarian actors have adapted modern domestic repression techniques for application abroad.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship
Named in honor of President Ronald Reagan and the late Congressman Dante Fascell (D-Fl.), whose bipartisan vision contributed to the founding of NED, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows program was established in 2001 to enable frontline defenders of democracy, civil society leaders, scholars, journalists, lawyers, artists, and others from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to advance democratic change.
During their time in residence at NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, fellows conduct research and writing, exchange ideas and experiences in comparative context, share best practices in democratic development, and build ties with a global network of democracy advocates.
Over the past twenty years, the Reagan-Fascell program has offered vital fellowship support to more than 360 Fellows from more than 100 countries—from fledgling democracies to some of the world’s most repressive political environments.
Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World
The Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World was inaugurated in 2004 by the International Forum and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs as an important new forum for discourse on democracy and its progress worldwide. Named for one of the great democratic scholars and public intellectuals of the twentieth century, the annual lecture is an intellectual platform for individuals who, like Seymour Martin Lipset, have made important contributions to our thinking about key issues of democracy through their writings and other accomplishments.
Recent speakers include Anne Applebaum, Ronald Deibert, Minxin Pei, Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, and Anwar Ibrahim.
Connect With Us
Twitter: @ThinkDemocracy | @NEDemocracy
Facebook: @ThinkDemocracy | @National.Endowment.for.Democracy
Email: forum@ned.org | fellowships@ned.org | info@ned.org
Meet Our Staff
Beth Kerley is a senior program officer with the research and conferences section of the National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies. She manages the Forum’s emerging technologies portfolio, which covers the challenges and opportunities for democracy as technological advances such as machine learning, the Internet of Things, and big-data analytics supply new tools of politics and governance. She was previously associate editor of the Journal of Democracy, and holds a PhD in History from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University
Anagha Kadambi is a Program Officer with the Fellowships Program at the Forum, where she coordinates and helps oversee the Forum’s biannual cohort of Reagan-Fascell Fellows. Prior to her time at the International Forum, she worked at the Carter Center, the United States Institute of Peace, and the National Democratic Institute. She holds a Master’s degree in Global Governance, Politics, and Security from American University, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Georgia.
Grayson Lewis is a program assistant in the International Forum for Democratic Studies, where he supports the communications, editorial, and financial coordination of the Forum’s work. He formerly served as the legislative assistant to a senior member of the Virginia State Senate, and previously completed internships with the National Democratic Institute and the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy. He holds an MA in Democracy & Governance from Georgetown University, as well as a BA in Political Science and a certificate in History from Virginia Tech.
Maya Recanati is an assistant program officer at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, where she supports the emerging technology and information space integrity portfolios. Prior to NED, she worked as a Privacy Program and Policy Analyst at Venable LLP, helping clients develop processes and policies that better protect consumer privacy. Maya holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Dartmouth College and an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kevin Sheives serves as the director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. He helps oversee the Forum’s staff and research on authoritarian influence, information space topics, emerging technology, and transnational kleptocracy. Kevin served nearly fifteen years in the U.S. government with the State Department’s China Desk and other positions, and in positions at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Defense, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Kevin received a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in International Relations from Baylor University. He is proficient in Mandarin and often served as a summer English teacher in Xinjiang, China. His writings have appeared in War on the Rocks, The Diplomat, Asia Nikkei, the Journal of Democracy, and the International Forum’s platforms. Follow him on X @KSheives.
Zerxes Spencer is the Director of Fellowship Programs at the National Endowment for Democracy. In this role, he oversees the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program, an international exchange program based at NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, which seeks to expand the knowledge, broaden the perspectives, build the capacity, and boost the morale of some of the world’s most committed and courageous democracy advocates. He also manages the International Forum’s Visiting Fellows Program and collaborates with the World Movement for Democracy in co-sponsoring the Hurford Youth Fellows Program. In addition, Mr. Spencer oversees efforts in support of democrats at risk, working with journalists, democracy activists, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, scholars, and others under attack around the world and spearheading the implementation of strategic initiatives in support of their work. He has delivered presentations, led briefings, and conducted workshops at a number of venues, including the Department of State, Harvard University, the Human Rights Funders Network, IREX, the Scholars at Risk Network, Civil Rights Defenders, and the World Movement for Democracy. Mr. Spencer is a member of the coordinating committee of the Human Rights Defenders Working Group, based at the Human Rights Funders Network. Prior to becoming Director, he served as Senior Manager of Fellowship Programs at the National Endowment for Democracy and as Associate Editor of the Journal of Democracy. He graduated summa cum laude (with highest honors) from Clark University, with a double major in Government and French, and earned an M.A.
