Seung Deok Seo

I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science (Comparative Politics) at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. My research focuses on how foreign aid shapes political incentives and organizational behavior within civil society. In my dissertation, I examine the conditions under which NGOs cooperate or compete in aid-dependent environments, emphasizing organizational identity as a key mechanism shaping these relations.

Focusing on Jordan, my dissertation employs a mixed-methods approach—combining network analysis, surveys, experiments, and qualitative interviews—to examine the mechanisms shaping inter-NGO relations.

Education

• Ph.D. in Political Science (Comparative Politics)
  University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (Expected 2027–2028)
• M.Sc. in Development Studies
  London School of Economics and Political Science
• B.A. in Arabic Interpretation and Translation
  Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Working Papers

• Beyond Economic and Political Motives: Exploring the Religious Dynamics in Gulf States’ Foreign Aid Allocation (with Paul Un)

Grants & Fellowships

• IQMR (Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research), Admitted Participant (Summer 2026)
• Humane Studies Fellowship, Institute for Humane Studies (2026)
• Graduate College Dissertation Travel Grant, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (2025–26)
• Graduate Research and Professionalization Fund, Department of Political Science, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (2025–26)
• Illinois Global Institute Language Fellowship in Arabic, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (2024–25)

Professional & Field Experience

• UN Women — Palestine Country Office
• Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) — Iraq Country Office
• Regional Experience (Training & Study Abroad) — Egypt; Jordan; Israel; Tunisia

Contact

Email: sdseo2@illinois.edu
CV: CV (PDF)

Outside of research, I enjoy photography. Below are selected photographs from my time living in the Middle East.

View Gallery