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The Democracy Defenders in Exile series is supported by the University of Notre Dame’s Democracy Catalyst Grant, the Keough School of Global Affairs, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and the Law School's Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic. It brings together democracy advocates from mainland China, Hong Kong, the Uyghur region, Tibet, the U.S. Congress, and international advocacy organizations. Each session follows a Q&A format led by students enrolled in a writing seminar "Democracy Defenders in Exile." The seminar will be offered regularly, with the strongest student essays published on this website and the top selections compiled into an edited volume.
This series is convened by Dr. Victoria Tin-bor Hui (thui@nd.edu), Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame.
Upcoming Events (Fall 2025)
Q&A with Yaqiu Wang
Former Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House
Jenkins Nanovic Halls 1030
September 10
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Q&A with Samuel Chu
President, Campaign for Hong Kong
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
September 24
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Film Screening "Love In The Time of Revolution" (2022) and Q&A with Samuel Chu
Free pizza and drinks!
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
September 24
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Q&A with Jewher Ilham
Author, Uyghur Advocate, Worker Rights Consortium
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
October 8
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Film Screening "All Static and Noise" (2023) and Q&A with Jewher Ilham
Free but ticketed
Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
October 8
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Film Screening "The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom" (2010)
Documentary on Tibet
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
October 15
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Q&A with Lobsang Sangay
Former Sikyong, Central Tibetan Administration in-exile
Jenkins Nanovic Halls 1030
October 29
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Q&A with Reva Price
Chair, US-China Economic and Security Review Commission; Former Senior Advisor, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (2005 - 2022)
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
November 12
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Q&A with Michael Caster
Head of Global China Program, Article 19; Co-Founder, Safeguard Defenders
Jenkins Nanovic Halls 1030
November 24
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Democracy Defenders Panel Discussion
Featuring Wang, Chu, Ilham, Price, Caster & Tenzin Dorjee (Senior Researcher & Strategist at Tibet Action Institute; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University's Department of Political Science)
Jenkins Nanovic Halls B101
December 8
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Speaker Reflections
"My encounter with the Democracy Defenders in Exiles class at Notre Dame was deeply moving and unexpectedly reciprocal. What began as an interview and conversation became a shared exploration of how democracy is lived rather than taught — how trust, courage, and imagination take root in ordinary people. Traveling to meet with the students revealed how the work of building solidarity and democratic imagination is always generational, relational, and alive. Their essays reflect not only understanding but transformation: they did not simply learn about Hong Kong, but used our encounter as a mirror for their own moral and civic imagination.” Samuel Chu (President, Campaign for Hong Kong)
Speaker Quotes
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Student Takeaways
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