About IPSA
The International Political Science Association (IPSA) was established in 1949 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the primary aim of promoting the global development of political science. When the movement to establish IPSA began in 1948, national political science associations existed in only a few countries, such as the United States, Canada, Finland, India, China, and Japan. The establishment of IPSA spurred the formation of political science associations in many other countries, including European nations like the UK and France, as well as in Mexico and Israel. Recently, there has been a growing trend of forming political science associations in African countries. IPSA continues to be a significant driving force behind the organization of political science worldwide.
IPSA offers three types of memberships: (1) Collective Members: National or regional political science associations can apply for this membership. Collective members can send representatives to the IPSA Council and participate in the organization’s governance and decision-making, including the election of the Executive Committee (EC). (2) Institutional Members: Universities, libraries, research institutes, and other academic institutions in the political science field are eligible for this membership. Institutional members can subscribe to IPSA’s academic journals and use IPSA’s communication systems. (3) Individual Members: Individuals engaged in political science research are eligible. Individual members can participate in IPSA’s World Congress and other academic activities organized by IPSA. There is no review process for individual membership; anyone can join by paying the membership fee. As of November 2023, IPSA comprises 59 Collective Members, including the Japanese Political Science Association (30 from Europe, 3 from North America, 9 from Latin America, 9 from Asia, 6 from Africa, and 2 from Oceania), 75 Institutional Members, and 4,433 Individual Members, making it a diverse and prominent international association in political science.
IPSA’s day-to-day operations are managed by its leadership team (the Troika) comprising the President, Past President, and President-Elect, the Executive Committee elected by the IPSA Council, and the Secretariat, which operates under their direction. The President-Elect is elected by the Council and automatically succeeds to the presidency, continuing to contribute as Past President after their term ends, ensuring continuity of leadership and knowledge transfer. In 2023, Yuko Kasuya from Japan was elected as the President-Elect and will be part of the leadership team until 2029.
The Japanese Political Science Association joined IPSA in 1952, shortly after its establishment, and has played a vital role as one of IPSA’s longest-standing members. This is evidenced by the fact that three IPSA Presidents have come from Japan: Kinhide Mushakoji (13th President, 1985-1988), Aiji Tanaka (23rd President, 2016-2018), and Yuko Kasuya (28th President, 2025-2027), as well as by hosting the IPSA World Congress in 2006. Additionally, the Japanese Political Science Association contributes significantly to IPSA’s finances. It is one of the few associations, alongside those from the U.S.A., Canada, France, and Germany, allocated three seats on the IPSA Council, the highest number available, based on the level of financial contributions. Representatives from the Japanese Political Science Association frequently serve on the Executive Committee, playing a crucial role in IPSA’s organizational management.
One of IPSA’s most important activities is organizing the World Congress, which was held every three years until 2012 and has been held biennially since then (though the 2020 Congress scheduled in Lisbon was postponed and later held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The 2023 Buenos Aires World Congress was a hybrid online and in-person event with 2,995 participants from 98 countries. To maintain and expand Japan’s presence at the IPSA World Congress, the Japanese Political Science Association offers financial support for travel expenses to members attending the Congress through its IPSA Travel Grants. For further details, please refer to the guidance from the Japanese Political Science Association’s International Exchange Committee.
IPSA has established over 50 Research Committees (RCs) covering a wide range of methodological approaches and research topics. Individual members of IPSA can join these RCs, receive information on conferences and symposia they organize, and participate in their activities. (Members choose their RCs when joining, but changes can be made later via the My IPSA section of the website). Some of the academic activities organized by RCs receive financial support from IPSA, including travel grants for participants.
Beyond facilitating research exchanges, IPSA is committed to promoting political science education. It holds summer schools annually in various countries, including Turkey, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Singapore, attracting participants from around the world. Recently, IPSA has also expanded its online education initiatives through IPSAMOOC (Massive Open Online Courses), offering a variety of courses in English and Spanish.
Addressing global inequality has become a key focus for IPSA, emphasizing support for the development of political science in the Global South. In 2009, IPSA established the IPSA Global South Solidarity Fund, which provides financial support, such as travel grants, to members from developing countries attending the World Congress. In 2022, IPSA revised its individual membership fee structure to align with the World Bank’s income classifications, allowing members from low-income countries to join for free, among other measures to encourage participation from developing nations.
For more information on IPSA and its activities, please visit the IPSA website at http://ipsa.org.