SDS Alumna Janka Deli Wins ILASS Best Workshop Paper Prize

We are thrilled to announce that SDS alumna Janka Deli has been named the co-winner of the first annual Interest Group on International Law and Social Science (ILASS) Best Workshop Paper Prize, awarded by the American Society of International Law (ASIL). Her paper, "Economic Growth Despite the Erosion of the Rule of Law?" was recognized for its methodological innovation, empirical rigor, and its significant contribution to the intersection of international law and social science.

Janka presented this groundbreaking research at the ILASS workshop in September, where it stood out among a highly competitive selection of papers. The ILASS Selection Committee—comprising esteemed scholars Alexandra Huneeus, Mark Pollack, and Urska Sadl—commended her work for shedding new light on the complex relationship between economic performance and democratic backsliding.

Her paper challenges the conventional wisdom that democratic decline necessarily stifles economic growth. Through an in-depth analysis of Hungary’s trajectory within the European Union and a series of stock market event studies, Janka’s research suggests that authoritarian moves, such as undermining judicial independence, do not always lead to negative economic consequences. These findings provide critical insights into the resilience of markets in the face of democratic erosion and highlight the potential economic sustainability of autocratic governance.

Janka was formally honored during the ILASS business gathering at the ASIL Annual Meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., from April 16–18, 2025. We are thrilled to celebrate this remarkable achievement and the important contributions her research makes to the field.

Congratulations, Janka!

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