GRADUATE AWARDS
EMILY KERR
From Mandate to Mortality: A Long-Term Inquiry into the Effectiveness of UN Peace Operations in the DRC
The effect that United Nations peacekeeping missions have had on countries undergoing conflict is an intensely scrutinized topic, with many scholars debating whether their presence instilled prolonged peace. While many scholars have examined the immediate post-conflict effects of a mission, this research examines the long-term effects of two peacekeeping missions, the UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC) and the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), over a 15-year period. By examining long-term conflict-related mortality rates, an indicator of human rights, this research compares the rates of mortality with UN peacekeeping presence through time series analyses and regression models and examines their relationship to see if there is a statistically significant correlation. The statistical analysis reveals that UN peacekeeping presence has minimal effect on conflict-related mortality rates, rendering their role ineffective. These findings suggest that the current UN peacekeeping model does not directly reduce conflict or conflict-related deaths, therefore, reiterating that a new model must be implemented wherein community voices and context specific interventions are incorporated into mission mandates.
JENNA KATE BISBEE
Silencing Stones: The Manipulation of Cultural Heritage Sites to Erase Minority Identity
Recent scholarship identifies the destruction of minority cultural heritage sites as a tactic to erase their identity, though it remains unclear how majorities manipulate cultural heritage to remove unwanted identities when international involvement restrains destruction. To address this gap, this study examines contributing factors to heritage manipulation, methods of manipulation, and the role of tourism in erasing minority identity. Using a multi-sited, comparative case study approach, I analyze manipulation of the Serbian Decani Monastery in Kosovo and the Uyghur Id Kah Mosque in China by evaluating site policies and conducting a discourse analysis of tourism advertisements. This analysis finds tourism narratives erase minority identity by omitting minority associations, revising history, and reassociating the site with the majority. Furthermore, findings indicate restraints determine manipulation strategies as Kosovars rely on non-physical manipulation methods of the Decani Monastery due to UNESCO and NATO protection, and the Chinese Communist Party maintains an Islamic, rather than Uyghur, identity of the Id Kah Mosque due to China’s diplomacy with Muslim-majority countries. This studies’ comparative approach reveals gaps in heritage protection and minority advocacy by looking beyond the destruction of single heritage sites to identify manipulation as a form of erasure across contexts.
Graduate Honorable Mentions
BYOUNGROK LIM
South Korea faces an unprecedented demographic crisis, recording the world's lowest fertility rate of 0.72 in 2023. Although pronatalist budgets have increased more than tenfold over the past 17 years, the number of births has nearly halved. While existing policies have proven insufficient to reverse this trend, attracting diaspora holds potential as a promising yet underexplored alternative. Extremely low fertility is not unique to South Korea, as other East Asian countries also confront similar demographic crises. This study examines diaspora policy progress in response to deepening demographic challenges in South Korea, China, and Japan. Using process tracing and comparative analysis, the research identifies common patterns and divergent trajectories of policies. Across cases, labor shortages driven by economic development triggered return migration schemes, while worsening demographic crises further advanced diaspora engagement policies. However, policy trajectories diverged depending on the severity and pace of demographic crises. Countries facing more acute demographic challenges adopted stronger return migration measures. Ultimately, this study highlights that diaspora engagement can serve as a viable alternative for countries facing similar demographic challenges and sheds light on policy pathways by analyzing three cases. Furthermore, it not only enriches scholarship on diaspora and demography but also contributes to broader interdisciplinary research.
May 29, 2025