My friends joke that when I die, my tombstone will read: “Hye Young loved bringing people together.” I hope that’s true. Organizing conferences has become one of the most rewarding parts of my academic life. Every conference is a little different, but they all share the same goal: bringing together curious people, encouraging generous feedback, sparking new collaborations, and, of course, feeding people well.
I started the Local Political Economy Conference in 2017 with Mike Sances and Jessica Trounstine, with support from the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, as a small workshop for scholars interested in local politics and political economy. Watching it grow into a regular gathering for the field has been incredibly rewarding. Since its inception, LPEC has become a vibrant venue for scholars of local politics to present new research, engage in substantive discussion, and build lasting scholarly networks.
Money in Politics Pre-Conference (2020–2023)
From 2020 to 2023, I co-organized the APSA Pre-Conference on Money in Politics with Mike Barber and Zhao Li. This pre-conference provided a dedicated space—particularly for graduate students and junior scholars—working on campaign finance, lobbying, political connections, and organized interests to share work, receive feedback, and connect with others in the field.
Beginning in 2024, with support from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, I partnered with an outstanding team at Copenhagen Business School to launch CBS–Princeton Money in Politics Conference, held each June in Copenhagen—my favorite city in the world. The conference brings together an international group of scholars working at the intersection of business and politics and aims to foster sustained cross-national and interdisciplinary exchange. The conference has become known for two things: excellent papers and excellent dinners. We put a lot of thought into both.
Group Photo from 2024 CBS-Princeton Money in Politics Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark
Group Photo from 2025 CBS-Princeton Money in Politics Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark
Group Photo from 2026 CBS-Princeton Money in Politics Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark
Princeton–SNU Summer Institute in Political Science
Starting in summer 2024 with the support from the Princeton SPIA, I also launched the Princeton–Seoul National University Summer Institute, which is especially meaningful to me given my roots. The Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University (my alma mater!) has been an invaluable partner in this effort. The Institute is designed to foster academic exchange between scholars in the United States and South Korea and builds sustained connections across institutions. It features research presentations, workshops, and in-depth discussions, with a central poster session that gives students valuable opportunities to present their work and receive direct, constructive feedback.
Group Photo from 2025 Princeton-SNU Summer Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Student Poster Session at 2024 Princeton-SNU Summer Institute
Professor Jim Bisbee (Vanderbilt)’s Presentation at 2024 Princeton-SNU Conference
Group Photo from 2026 Princeton-SNU Summer Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Political Economy Conference (SPEC)
Beginning in 2026, I also launched the Seoul Political Economy Conference in collaboration with Seoul National University’s Department of Economics and the Center for Redistributive Justice. Our goal is to establish an annual conference in Seoul that brings together leading political economy scholars from Korea and abroad to exchange ideas and form new collaborations. We also hope that participants will experience the energy and beauty of Korea, develop deeper connections with scholars in Korea, and find many reasons to return.
Group Photo from 2026 Seoul Political Economy Conference, Seoul, South Korea
Group Photo from 2026 Seoul Political Economy Conference, Seoul, South Korea
Hye Young You 