Geoffrey Macdonald
Geoffrey Macdonald, Ph.D. is a Senior Advisor in the Asia Division, focusing on research and program strategy. From 2018-2022, Geoffrey was IRI’s Resident Program Director in Bangladesh, where he managed programs on civil society empowerment, political party assistance, youth civic education, minority rights, and countering violent extremism.
Geoffrey has written and spoken widely on political and extremist violence, democratic design, conflict management, and South Asian and comparative politics. His writing has been published by the Journal of Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, the Council on Foreign Relations, and various other academic and policy outlets. He has taught political science at Grinnell College, George Washington University, and elsewhere. Geoffrey holds a Ph.D. (2013) and M.A. from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and a B.A. in International Relations from Boston University. He was awarded a Fulbright research scholarship to India in 2012-2013. Concurrent with his work at IRI, Geoffrey is a Visiting Expert on South Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace and a nonresident Associate at Harvard University’s Asia Center.
Authored Content
How Facebook Fuels Religious Violence
“Last October, Bangladesh was rocked by one of its worst bouts of violence in years when Muslims across the country…
Understanding the Lives of Bangladesh’s LGBT…
Overview In order to understand the daily lives of sexual and gender minorities in Bangladesh, the International Republican Institute (IRI)…
Bangladesh: Urdu-Speaking “Biharis” Se…
Overview In early 2020, the International Republican Institute (IRI) conducted a qualitative research study of the Bihari community in Bangladesh…
The Challenges Facing Plainland Ethnic Groups in B…
Overview In February 2020, the International Republican Institute (IRI) conducted a focus group study of plainland ethnic groups in Bangladesh,…
Bangladeshi Universities and the Failure of Studen…
In October and November 2019, the International Republican Institute’s Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) conducted a series of…
IRI Expert Discusses Bangladesh Poll for the Conci…
One Year After a Contentious Election, Bangladeshis are Satisfied with the Country’s Direction Council on Foreign Relations By…
IRI Experts Discuss Tunisia, Governance and CVE in…
Tunisia’s Fraying Governing Coalition Threatens to Undermine CVE/CT Strategy Georgetown Journal of International Affairs By Geoffrey Macdonald and Luke Waggoner…
IRI Experts Discuss Bangladesh Elections in Counci…
Bangladesh: Faith in Democracy and Institutions Is In Decline as Election Nears Council on Foreign Relations By Steve Cima and…
IRI Experts Tackle Challenges to Bangladeshi Democ…
Bangladesh’s Democratic Erosion: How Democracy Assistance Can Help Council on Foreign Relations By Steve Cima and Geoffrey Macdonald Bangladesh has…