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In June 2026, Jeffrey Nonnemacher (IAFS Teaching Assistant Professor and Internship Program Director) presented research on the interconnected nature of political parties in Europe at the first annual meeting of the in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. His research aims to understand why parties and party leaders would publicly attach themselves to foreign leaders of similar ideological leanings from different countries, as many radical right leaders did earlier this year in a video endorsement of Viktor Orbán for the 2026 Hungarian elections. His work was featured on a panel that focused on how political parties in different countries organize themselves and make strategic decisions. It was an insightful panel on how much we can learn about democracy, democratic competition, and political parties by taking a transnational approach to the key actors in political competition.

Beyond academic circles, the conference was hosted in Belfast which, days prior the conference, experienced violent by right-wing groups in response to a knife attack against police. It was a sudden reminder about how important identity remains in Northern Ireland, where national and religious ties continue to dominate and divide society. In Belfast, union jacks were a common occurrence where the flag of the Republic of Ireland was flown much more commonly in rural areas. In international affairs, where we take pride in looking beyond borders, nowhere is this more important than Ireland where the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland requires a deep understanding of history, society, politics, religious studies, and colonial legacies. Prof. Nonnemacher is excited to bring these perspectives back to his classroom this semester in IAFS 1000: Global Issues and International Affairs and .Ìý