Democratic Resilience Workshop Hosted by the University of Oxford
Oxford workshop on democratic resilience brings together international scholars and practitioners to examine democratic backsliding and authoritarian practices.
On 5–6 October 2026, the University of Oxford hosted two days of discussion on the challenges facing democracy and the strategies available to strengthen democratic resilience.
The programme began on 5 October at the Blavatnik School of Government with a series of Democratic Resilience Policy Roundtables, bringing together leading practitioners and experts to examine practical responses to democratic backsliding and the challenges of democratic recovery. Discussions focused on the role of courts and the rule of law, business and economic actors, higher education and academic freedom, and coalition-building and civic mobilisation.
On 6 October, an academic workshop on Authoritarian Practices and Democratic Backsliding held at All Souls College brought together scholars working at the forefront of research on authoritarianism and democratic resilience. Across four sessions, participants presented and discussed new research on transnational repression, popular attitudes and democratic backsliding, the political contestation of democracy, and strategies for resisting democratic erosion.
The events on 5 October were co-organised by the Centre for Democratic Resilience, the Oxford Authoritarian Politics Network, Democracy International, Global Defenders Collective and the Blavatnik School of Government. The academic workshop on 6 October was co-organised by the Centre for Democratic Resilience and the Oxford Authoritarian Politics Network.
Both events were very well attended and generated lively discussion and exchange among participants. Taken together, they created an unusual opportunity to connect emerging academic research with the experience and perspectives of practitioners confronting threats to democracy in different institutional and national settings.
Acknowledgements: The organisers gratefully acknowledge the support of the John Fell Fund.
