Seung Deok Seo

I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, specializing in Comparative Politics and International Relations.

I study the politics of foreign aid and civil society in aid-receiving countries. My research examines how external funding shapes political incentives, organizational behavior, and relationships among civil society organizations, with a regional focus on the Middle East.

My dissertation asks why NGOs cooperate with one another in some contexts but compete in others. Focusing on Jordan, I examine how organizational identity structures inter-NGO relations in aid-dependent environments. The project uses a mixed-methods design, combining network analysis, surveys, experiments, and qualitative interviews.

I am also developing related projects on public attitudes toward foreign aid and the regulation of civil society. One project examines how religious affinity between donors and recipients shapes citizens’ perceptions of aid, while another studies how NGO laws affect organizational autonomy, civic activity, and the broader political space available to civil society organizations.

My research and regional training have been supported by the Institute for Humane Studies, the University of Illinois Graduate College, the Department of Political Science, the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, and the Illinois Global Institute.

Education

Ph.D. in Political Science (Comparative Politics; International Relations)
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

Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR), Admitted Participant (Summer 2026)
Humane Studies Fellowship, Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) (2026)
Evelyne Accad and Paul Vieille Research Award (2026)
Graduate College Dissertation Travel Grant (2025–26)
Graduate Research and Professionalization Fund (2025–26)
Illinois Global Institute Language Fellowship in Arabic (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.

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