A message from the series convener, Dr. Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame

Teaching this speaker series has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic career, and its impact has far exceeded my expectations. Through both speakers and students, the classroom has become not merely a site of learning, but a civic space where democracy is practiced through encounter, dialogue, and responsibility.

This pedagogical experiment began with Democracy Defenders in Exile and Global Struggles for Freedom in Fall 2025, and will continue with the College Seminar Global Struggles for Democracy in Spring 2026. .

The defining feature of this series is that students—not the professor—are in charge of the Q&A sessions. Student interviewers are trained to conduct professional newsroom-style live interviews, requiring them to research speakers’ backgrounds, political causes, and life experiences in depth. This shift in authority fundamentally changes how students engage. Rather than performing for a grade, they assume responsibility for representing the voices and struggles of frontline democracy defenders with accuracy and care. All assignments and comments are circulated to the entire class and to the speakers themselves, creating a shared learning community that motivates rigor, accountability, and excellence.

My longstanding mission in teaching is to help self-described shy students become confident speakers by semester’s end. This course has advanced that mission in ways I had not anticipated. Students learn not only critical thinking, but also how to ask difficult questions, speak publicly with confidence, and write with moral clarity—skills that are markers for success across majors and careers. Over time, I have seen students shift from distant observers of global repression to active learners who ask what role they themselves might play in defending democracy. I was particularly struck by how visibly students embraced the same spirit of advocacy and purpose expressed by our speakers. When Jewher Ilham remarked that she wished she had taken a course like this as a student, I was less struck by her praise than by how my students had already internalized that message: that they, too, can be change-makers.

Equally powerful has been the effect on democracy defenders themselves. As reflected in speaker testimonials, many describe the encounters as reciprocal and energizing. These testimonials affirm the program’s dual impact: empowering students as civic actors while revitalizing democracy defenders through meaningful academic exchange. 

To further sustain this impact, top student assignments are featured on the Democracy Defenders website, and outstanding essays will be compiled into a future edited volume—extending the life of these encounters beyond the classroom.