Carleton University’s Logan Cochrane, a researcher in the Faculty of Public Affairs, has been awarded the renowned Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue his work. He will receive $70,000 a year for two years.
Cochrane’s research investigates how effective and inclusive governance is enabled by a responsive government and engaged citizens. If harnessed, citizen-government interactions can strengthen policies and programs and enhance the involvement that individuals have in their community and country.
“My project analyzes why and when citizens mobilize in rural Ethiopia to affect governmental change, and what enables government to positively respond to that,” said Cochrane. “There are longstanding concerns about the lack of citizen participation in Ethiopia, as well as significant challenges with government repression.”
In 2015 and 2016, hundreds of protests occurred throughout Ethiopia, leading to mass arrests and the use of lethal force. The escalation of conflict between citizens and the government resulted in of a state of emergency.
It is crucial to identify the factors for improved citizen engagement and responsive governance to transform the conflict into collaboration.
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program is designed to attract and develop top-tier researchers from Canada and around the world. Each year, 70 fellowships are awarded, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHERC).