GASPAR hosts guest researchers in 2025

Anna Lia Brunetti is a fourth-year PhD candidate, working in the ERC Starting Grant Project DeVOTE at the University of Vienna. In her dissertation, she is analysing citizens‘ views towards the act of voting and connected issues of democratic legitimacy, such as political support, election integrity and political participation. She is studying this from a comparative perspective, relying on original survey data collected in thirteen very diverse countries around the world.

She says the following about joining GASPAR as a guest researcher: "I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a guest researcher with the GASPAR research group during February – March 2025. The group’s broad research focus creates an intellectually stimulating environment that resonates with my academic interests. Engaging with its expertise has enriched my work, providing valuable feedback and exposure to diverse methodological and theoretical approaches. Thank you for having me!" 

Dieter Stiers is a post-doctoral researcher of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) at KU Leuven, visiting the GASPAR group to work on several shared projects. In his research on elections and voting behaviour, he mainly focuses on questions of (the quality) of participation and representation. Elections are an essential means of representation in electoral democracies, and it is therefore important that voters participate in elections in an informed way. Therefore, he examines (inequalities in) voter turnout and the extent to which voters support parties that represent their political interests.

During his research stay at GASPAR, he is working on several projects related to this research agenda, and more specifically on the ideological congruence of the vote of adolescent voters in European elections, and the role of ideology as a determinant of the vote in local elections. He mentions the following on his research stay experience: "The researchers at GASPAR hold a lot of expertise regarding these topics, and it is therefore very interesting to cooperate on these projects. The constructive atmosphere in the group further helps to make it a very productive and enjoyable stay."

Hilde Coffé is Professor in Politics at the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath. Her main research interests include political representation, political behaviour, and gender and politics. She has published in leading academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, Journal of European Public Policy and West European Politics.

She describes her time at GASPAR in the following way: "Working with GASPAR colleagues has been a fantastic experience! What started as a single paper on gender and political ambition has grown into an exciting series of four papers, thanks to an inspiring collaboration. Beyond this, I have also had the opportunity to contribute to a project investigating sexism during the 2024 elections in Belgium—another fascinating experience. GASPAR has played a key role in shaping these projects, and I am grateful for the opportunities that have come from this collaboration!"

Andreu Teruel began his PhD in December 2022 at the Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science at the University of Valencia, Spain. Before that, he received a a one-year grant to work as a junior fellow researcher in the Political Theory group at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Previously, he obtained a master's degree in Democracy and Government from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Valencia. His research is focused on the analysis of party governments in parliamentary democracies, with a specific emphasis on how government changes (in terms of party composition) impact institutional outputs, particularly legislative production. The key objects of study related to this research included large datasets on parliamentary initiatives, ministers, and roll call votes. In parallel, he is conducting research on political parties' positions on digital issues, using large language models for the coding of extensive political text datasets.

He will be joining GASPAR soon and talks about his upcoming research stay: "I am confident that my time at GASPAR will significantly enrich my doctoral dissertation. The group's expertise aligns closely with my research focus—particularly on coalitions and political parties—while also providing valuable insights into Belgian politics. Collaborating with GASPAR’s scholars will be a privilege, especially given the group's dynamic research community, which strikes a remarkable balance between youthful energy and seasoned expertise."