As a junior in the Dual BA Program with Sciences Po and Columbia University, majoring in Political Science and Human Rights, Yu Duo Xu '27GS, represents one of the many paths within the Dual BA Program that students take. This semester Xu has been announced as a Spring 2026 Bancroft Research Scholar with her research project entitled: Balancing Liberty and Security: Democratic Responses to Terrorism in Comparative Perspective.
“I’ve long been interested in how democracies uphold their core values under pressure,” Xu said.
At Sciences Po and Columbia, Xu became interested in learning more about democratic governments and their crisis responses. She explained, “What struck me is that democracies with similar legal commitments respond very differently to these crises. I wanted to understand why—whether those differences stem from constitutional structures, political culture, or international norms—and what that reveals about how liberty and human rights are protected or compromised during emergencies.”
For Xu, this project is more than just a research question but rather her “first opportunity to conduct independent, faculty-supervised research at the intersection of law, international relations, and public policy.” Not only will this project allow Xu to dive deeper into questions surrounding the durability of democracy, but it will also enable her to develop “analytical and methodological skills” for graduate study and a future career in policy research or law. As a student researcher, Xu believes that this project “reinforces my belief that careful, comparative research can inform better policy choices, ones that strengthen security while preserving the rights and freedoms that define democratic societies.”
The Bancroft Research Scholars Program aims to provide GS students with the opportunity and funding to participate in undergraduate research during the regular school year. The Program selects a limited number of GS students who collaborate with a Columbia faculty member on a research project during the academic year. Each scholar receives $2,200 in funding for one academic term to support their research efforts. This support helps cover essential research-related expenses, including supplies, materials, and travel costs, ensuring that scholars can fully immerse themselves in their projects without financial barriers.
Learn more about the Spring 2026 Cohort of Bancroft Research Scholars.
