Inter-Regional Lab: What Order Can Stabilize the International System?

24.11.2025

Geopolitical competition paralyzes the multilateral architecture at a time when global cooperation is needed more than ever. Over 30 thought leaders from across regions jointly explored what kind of order could stabilize an international system in flux.

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Over 30 thought leaders from 20 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Americas came together in Bangkok over the FES Asia–GSI Inter-Regional Lab "Geopolitical competition, Geoeconomic Disruptions. What order can stabilize the international system?", organized in partnership with the Global Solutions Initiative Foundation (GSI) and facilitated by the Executive Education team of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Over two days, they exchanged notes on geopolitical and geoeconomic disruptions as also jointly explored what type of order might stabilize the international system that is in flux and turmoil.

A group photo of around 30 people in an event hall with a screen at the background. The screen shows world map with event title: Geopolitical competition, Geoeconomic Disruptions. What order can stabilize the international system? — Participants of the FES Asia–GSI Inter-Regional Lab

What Order Can Stabilize the International System?

Geopolitical competition paralyzes the multilateral architecture at the very moment when global cooperation is more needed than ever. What kind of order can stabilize the international system? Bambang Brodjonegoro and Yu Bin explores these questions at the FES Asia–GSI Inter-Regional Lab.

Interview with Bambang Brodjonegoro

Dr. Bambang Brodjonegoro is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI).

Interview with Yu Bin

Dr. Yu Bin is a Senior Fellow of the Shanghai Association of American Studies and a Senior Fellow of the Russian Studies Center of the East China Normal University in Shanghai.

Navigating Security and Development Challenges

How does US–China competition influence national security? And how do global geoeconomic disruptions reshape development models? Experts from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Thailand tackled these two big questions.

Nepal: Apekshya Shah

Apekshya Shah is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tribhuvan University, Nepal’s pioneering program in foreign affairs. She is also Senior Fellow at the Nepal Economic Forum.

Bangladesh: Marufa Akter

Dr. Marufa Akter is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Studies and Governance (GSG) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

Thailand: Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi

Dr. Pongkwan Swasdipakdi is a Lecturer in international relations and Assistant Dean for graduate studies at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University.

The views expressed in this interview series are not necessarily those of FES.

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24.11.2025 | Geopolitics and International Order | News