Academy Fellow

My research examines how political and religious power shapes citizens, identities, loyalties and legitimate social order, and how these processes either sustain or undermine pluralism, democracy and social cohesion. Across my career, I have developed an internationally recognised body of work on authoritarianism, religion and politics, populism, civilisational politics, digital authoritarianism, diaspora politics, emotions and politics, and transnational influence. 

A central contribution of my scholarship is to show that authoritarianism is not reproduced only through formal institutions, coercion or law. It is also sustained through culture, religion, narratives, emotions, media and everyday forms of belonging. My work has analysed how political actors construct “the people”, define enemies, mobilise grievances, invoke religious and civilisational identities, and produce loyal citizens while marginalising minorities, dissidents and other undesirable groups. This research has helped connect fields that are often studied separately, including political science, international relations, religious studies, sociology, political psychology, media studies and migration studies. 

My book Creating the Desired Citizen examined how the Turkish state used education, religion and ideology to shape citizens and social order. My later work expanded this concern into comparative studies of civilisational populism, authoritarian religious politics, digital authoritarianism and transnational repression. I have shown how authoritarian and populist actors use religion, emotions, nostalgia, victimhood, conspiracy theories and digital communication to legitimise exclusion, polarise societies and weaken democratic pluralism. My research has covered Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Muslim diaspora communities in Australia, UK and USA. 

The impact of this work lies in its contribution to understanding some of the most urgent challenges facing contemporary societies: democratic backsliding, digital repression, religious nationalism, polarisation, minority exclusion, transnational authoritarian influence and the vulnerability of multicultural democracies. My scholarship provides concepts and evidence that help researchers, policymakers, civil-society organisations, educators and media actors recognise how authoritarian narratives circulate, why they resonate with particular audiences, and how democratic resilience and social cohesion might be strengthened without stigmatising religion or migrant communities. 

My research has also generated substantial public and institutional value. It has informed international debates on populism, authoritarianism, religion and digital politics; supported collaboration with scholars and institutions across Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia and the wider Muslim world; and contributed to research training for emerging scholars. Through ARC-funded projects, international grants, books, journal articles, edited collections, public engagement and media commentary, I have sought to build an interdisciplinary research agenda that explains how authoritarian power travels across borders, platforms and communities, and how democratic societies can respond more effectively. 

My overall contribution to the social sciences is an integrated account of authoritarianism as a cultural, emotional, religious, digital and transnational project, and of pluralism as a democratic achievement that must be actively studied, defended and renewed. 

Professor of Political Science, Deakin University, 2016-Present 

Australian Political Studies Association 

Yilmaz, Ihsan. 2021. Creating the Desired Citizen: Ideology, State and Islam in Turkey. Cambridge University Press. 

Yilmaz, Ihsan. 2025. Intergroup Emotions and Competitive Victimhoods: Turkey’s Ethnic, Religious and Political Emigrant Groups in Australia. Palgrave Macmillan. 

Yilmaz, Ihsan, Shahram Akbarzadeh, Namig Abbasov and Galib Bashirov. 2025. “The Double-Edged Sword: Political Engagement on Social Media and Its Impact on Democracy Support in Authoritarian Regimes.” Political Research Quarterly, 78(2): 419–436. 

Yilmaz, Ihsan, Ana-Maria Bliuc, Robb Norrie, Chloe M. Smith, James Smith, Cerys Evans, Daniel S. Courtney and Daniel Barnett. 2026. “Populism in the Age of Social Media: A Systematic Review of Recent Digital Populism Research.” New Media & Society. 

Yilmaz, Ihsan, and Nicholas Morieson. 2025. Weaponizing Civilizationalism for Authoritarianism: How Turkey, India, Russia, and China Challenge Liberal Democracy. Palgrave Macmillan.