Governing the Nation Beyond Borders: Power and Politics in Diaspora Engagement

This hybrid CDD Pathway event (open to PGRs/colleagues from all Pathways) has now been rearranged, having previously been cancelled in June 2025 due to unforeseen circumstances.

In an era of intensifying transnational ties, states are increasingly crafting diaspora engagement policies that project an image of inclusivity, national unity, and global reach. However, behind this seemingly benign trend lies a more complex reality. This talk critically examines the limits of diaspora governance and diplomacy, with a focus on selective engagement strategies that often obscure deeper political dynamics. Drawing primarily on the case of Turkey—while also referencing other contexts—it explores how diaspora policies may serve as instruments of soft power, tools for surveillance, or mechanisms of transnational repression.

In divided societies, diaspora engagement often mirrors domestic power struggles, extending ideological polarization and marginalizing dissenting voices abroad. While officially framed as fostering connection and development, such policies frequently reinforce exclusions based on ethnicity, political affiliation, or ideological stance. By interrogating the gap between normative narratives and practical implementation, this talk highlights the need for a more critical and nuanced understanding of state-diaspora relations today.

Outcomes

Participants in this workshop will:

• Distinguish between concepts of governance, particularly external engagement with citizens;
• Gain a better understanding of democratisation and doing research in the Global South;
• Network with other PGR students in the CDD pathway.

Contributors

Dr Bahar Baser is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs and a member of the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Her research focuses on diaspora studies, peacebuilding, and conflict transformation, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East. She has conducted extensive research on diaspora engagement in peace processes, post-conflict reconstruction, and state-building in the Global South.

Dr Roxana Barbulescu is an Associate Professor in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, UK, and is the Director of the CDD (Civil Society, Development and Democracy) Pathway for the WRDTP.

Please note: The WRDTP is committed to sustainability and to reducing the waste from excess catering at events. A key challenge here is non-attendance at events. From October 1st 2025, the WRDTP will be changing the way we manage the non-attendance of PGR students who have booked place/s at WRDTP Training events. Any PGR student who does not inform the WRDTP (via training@wrdtp.ac.uk) that they will not be able to attend a WRDTP event at least 3 working days before the event takes place will have the cost of their place deducted from their RTSG (if a WRDTP-funded student), or have this charged to their department (if not funded by the WRDTP). This will allow us to better plan for events and to avoid catering waste. Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.