Institute for Political Methodology (Taiwan), 2013 The IPSAS is hosting the "2013 Institute of Political Methodology" from July 17th to August 2nd. Through topical examinations of methodological issues, the Institute of Political Methodology (IPM) aims both to facilitate interaction among those interested in the quantitative methods and to increase the overall skill level of those within this community. We welcome applications before the May 3rd deadline.    Activities On May 16 IPSAS lecture series will present "Is the Reserved Seat System for Women in Taiwanese Elections Really Ineffective?" by Prof. Nathan Batto, IPSAS Assistant Research Fellow. On May 13 IPSAS lecture series will present "Crime and Punishment: An Institutional Approach" by Prof. Emerson Niou, Department of Political Science, Duke University. On May 10 IPSAS lecture series will present "Asian Capitalism and Opposition to Economic Reform" by Prof. Lawrence Saez, SOAS, University of London. On May 2 IPSAS lecture series will present "Seoul's Policy toward Beijing: Assessments and Prospects" by Prof. Jae Ho Chung, Department of International Relations, Seoul National University.    Announcements IPSAS will host the Eighth Annual Workshop on “Asian Network for the Study of Local China” on May 3. We will have authoritative scholars in this field gathering in Academia Sinica to discuss local governance issues in China. Constitutional Reform: Background, Operation, and Impact. Edited by Chung-li Wu and Yu-shan Wu. Taipei: Wu Nan Publisher, 2006. The Transmutation of the CCP Party-State. Revisiting Theories on Cross-Strait Relations.Edited by Tzong-Ho Bau and Yu-shan Wu. Taipei: IPSAS & Wu Nan Publisher,2009. The Preparatory Office of Political Science at Academic Sinica signed an MOU with the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science UC Berkeley.