Welcome!

The Minnesota Asian Political Development (MAPD) lab is a collaborative research initiative based at the Department of Political Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Led by Prof. Kevin Luo (Political Science), the MAPD lab seeks to bring together faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students interested in the study of Asian political history and contemporary politics. Methodologically, we mainly focus on the collection of state archives and local histories, with the view to reconstruct a broader picture of Asian politics throughout history. Current projects include the study of rural politics in Asia, and state capacity in post-1949 China. 

University of Minnesota students interested in getting involved with the project should contact Prof. Luo at kwluo@umn.edu. We are currently looking for research assistants with intermediate to advanced reading proficiency in Chinese, and potentially in Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese. You can participate in the project via the Department of Political Science's Distinguished Undergraduate Research Program (DURP), the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the Dean's First-Year Research & Creative Scholars (DFRACS) Program, or the Pathways to Graduate School Summer Research Program at the University of Minnesota. If you are not eligible for these opportunities but would still like to participate, please feel free to get in touch.