Annotations Special Edition: Reflection on Reading Weekend 2023
The JPIA Editors-in-Chief share their thoughts on the first in-person Reading Weekend in three years and look ahead to the publication of this year's edition.
Dear Readers,
This special edition centers on Reading Weekend, a time-honored tradition for JPIA. Reading Weekend takes place once a year, when the JPIA leadership team invites graduate students from other APSIA schools to join in the process for reviewing journal submissions and selecting the final pieces for publication. Please enjoy some thoughts from our Editors-in-Chief about Reading Weekend.
This year, Princeton’s Journal of Public and International Affairs (JPIA) celebrated its first in-person Reading Weekend since 2020. We welcomed 30 editors from ten different schools - some editors traveled from as far as Geneva and Singapore to take part in Reading Weekend 2023! The weekend kicked off on Friday, February 24 in Campus Club, a former eating club on Princeton’s campus. Miguel Centeno, Executive Vice Dean of Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, opened the weekend with an inspiring reminder of the importance of seeking, establishing, and verifying truth in the pursuit of knowledge.
Editors participated in four reading rounds and a final table discussion of the merits of each piece still under consideration. By the end of the weekend, editors had read a total of 2,874,950 words, submitted over 480 scorecards, evaluated almost 100 submissions, and selected pieces for final publication. Submissions touched on a wide range of topics, but unsurprisingly, the rise and influence of China was one of the hottest topics of the weekend. We were also pleased to see authors apply inventive approaches to social science research, including by using real-time Google Search activity to target emergency fiscal stimulus aid and spotlighting female farming cooperatives in assessment of international development strategies.
JPIA prides itself in creating an inclusive and intellectually-stimulating environment for all the editors who participate in shaping each year’s edition. Reading Weekend provides a unique opportunity for SPIA students to learn and collaborate with students from other universities belonging to the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs.
JPIA staff, contributing editors, and authors are now hard at work preparing selected pieces for the launch of this year’s edition in May. We look forward to showcasing the hard work of our authors and editorial team!
JPIA Editors-in-Chief
Ellen Swicord & Allison Blauvelt