Seung Deok Seo
Ph.D. Student in Political Science
Department of Political Science
University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
Visiting Researcher
Center for Strategic Studies
University of Jordan
I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science (Comparative Politics and International Relations) at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. I am currently conducting dissertation fieldwork as a Visiting Researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan. My research focuses on foreign aid, NGOs, and civil society, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
My dissertation, Together in Public, Apart in Practice, examines why civil society organizations (CSOs) participating in the same advocacy campaigns vary in the depth of their cooperation. Focusing on Jordan, I argue that stronger competition over credit for collective outcomes discourages substantive cooperation.
Beyond the dissertation, my research looks at foreign aid from the perspectives of donors, recipients, and the civil society organizations between them. I study how local political interests shape the subnational allocation of Saudi aid in Indonesia, how donor identity shapes public attitudes toward aid in Egypt and Indonesia, and how restrictive NGO laws affect civil society activity across aid-receiving countries.
My research has received support from the Institute for Humane Studies, the University of Illinois Graduate College, the Department of Political Science, and the Evelyne Accad and Paul Vieille International Research Award.
Education
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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
Visiting Research Appointment
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Visiting Researcher (2026–Present)
Center for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan
Research
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Together in Public, Apart in Practice: Credit Competition and the Depth of Civil Society Cooperation in Jordan
Abstract
Why do NGOs that publicly join the same advocacy campaigns sometimes cooperate deeply but at other times remain strategically shallow? I argue that competition over credit for joint outcomes shapes the depth of cooperation. Visible participation allows organizations to associate themselves with a campaign's achievements, while attribution concerns can discourage information sharing and substantive coordination. Focusing on Jordan, the project combines original data on NGO cooperation, survey experiments, and qualitative interviews.
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Do Cross-National Aid Allocation Patterns Travel Sub-Nationally?
Evidence from Saudi Aid Allocation in Indonesia
Abstract
The foreign aid literature argues that donors allocate aid according to strategic, political, and identity-based interests. Yet it remains unclear whether such patterns also appear within recipient states. Using project-level data from the Saudi Aid Platform, we examine Saudi aid allocation across subnational units in Indonesia. We find limited evidence that aid is directed toward districts with larger Muslim populations, but more consistent evidence of an association with the legislative seat share of Islamist parties.
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Whose Aid Is Trusted? Donor Identity and Religious Congruence in Egypt and Indonesia
Abstract
Why do recipient publics trust some aid donors more than others? We investigate whether perceived religious congruence between donors and recipients shapes donor legitimacy and interpretations of donor motives. The project uses conjoint survey experiments in Egypt and Indonesia that vary donor identity, project sector, and other project characteristics to study evaluations of foreign aid.
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Staying Registered, Going Quiet: How Restrictive NGO Laws Suppress Civil Society Activity
Abstract
Restrictive NGO laws have proliferated across aid-receiving countries. Although these laws may not immediately reduce the number of registered NGOs, they can discourage organizations from participating in civil society activities. We examine this potential chilling effect using an updated dataset of restrictive NGO laws and V-Dem measures of civil society participation across aid-receiving countries.
Grants, Fellowships & Training
- Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (IQMR), Open-Pool Fellow (2026)
- Humane Studies Fellowship, Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) (2026)
- Evelyne Accad and Paul Vieille International 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)
Academic & Professional Experience
- Visiting Researcher — Center for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan (2026–Present)
- Instructor of Record — PS 201, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (Fall 2026)
- 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.