Dr Aurelia Ananda, BA (Hiram College), MSc (University College London), PhD (King’s College London)

Profile

Aurelia obtained her PhD in Politics from King’s College London. Her dissertation examines democratic understanding and political knowledge in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Prior to joining QMUL in 2023, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Teaching

POL105 – Political Analysis

POL284 – Comparative Politics

Research

Research Interests:

Aurelia’s research intersects comparative politics and political behaviour in developing democracies and electoral autocracies, particularly in Southeast Asia. Her research primarily examines how knowledge of politics and democracy shape democratic support and preferences in societies with limited experience and exposure to democracy. More recently, her research focuses on the gendered development of political knowledge and preferences in newly democratic societies.

Publications

Herman, L. E., Dawson, J., and Ananda, A. (2023). A climate of optimism? EU policy-making, political science and the democratization of Central and Eastern Europe (2000–2015). Comparative European Politics.

Ananda, A. and Dawson, J. (2023). Cultural Liberalism in Eastern and Western Europe: A Societal Antidote to Democratic Backsliding? Journal of European Public Policy.

Anderson, C., Bol, D., and Ananda, A. (2021). Humanity’s Attitudes About Democracy and Political Leaders: Patterns and Trends. Public Opinion Quarterly.

Ananda, A. and Bol, D. (2020). Does Knowing Democracy Affect Answers to Democratic Support Questions? A Survey Experiment in Indonesia. International Journal of Public Opinion Research.

Public Engagement

Aurelia is a Lead Researcher at Generasi Edukasi Indonesia, a non-profit education-focused organisation working with local governments to introduce and integrate critical thinking framework into the national curriculum.