Press Release
from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

The Future World Order: New Online Event Series from the Belfer Center's International Security Program

What form(s) might a future world order take? What principles should guide efforts to construct it?

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The existing global political-economic order has been ruptured by the rise of China, a broad backlash against globalization, uncertainties about the U.S. commitment to a rules-based system, and most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. What form(s) might a future world order take, and what principles should guide efforts to construct it? The Future World Order event series will address these questions by examining individual topics ranging from traditional security issues such as arms control to newer, relevant issues such as digital trade.

Professor Stephen M. Walt elaborates on the rationale  for this new  series: "The liberal order that followed the Cold War is now contested, and rising tensions among major powers could lead to a serious breakdown of existing norms and rules. HKS Professor Dani Rodrik and I are working together to identify a set of governing principles that could help guide the construction of a more benign world order. To aid our efforts, we are asking experts in different domains—arms control, trade, Sino-American relations, etc.—to evaluate our proposals and offer their own ideas for how the United States (and others) can maximize prospects for cooperation in an increasingly competitive world."

The inaugural seminar will be Friday, September 25, 2020 from 12:30–2 PM and will focus on arms control.   Everyone is welcome to join us by Zoom. Please register here

The following seminar will be Friday, October 30, 2020 from 12–1:30 PM and will focus on digital trade. Details will be posted soon to the series webpage.

Individual sessions will be moderated by either Professor Dani Rodrik  or Professor Walt.

Recommended citation

Lynch, Susan. “The Future World Order: New Online Event Series from the Belfer Center's International Security Program.” Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, September 21, 2020