Geopolitics and International Order

Asia has traditionally been subject to global and regional power rivalries. In the 21st century, it will likely be caught in a contest for political dominance, military power and economic influence. The future global order will be decisively shaped in the Asia-Pacific region. Geopolitics and geoeconomics will play out in multiple dimensions and produce complex patterns of competition, conflict, cooperation and (dis-)integration, all unfolding at the same time. A “strategic new normal” is taking form, characterized by uncertainty, exceptional disruption and unprecedented change.

Our newest regional project analyses major regional and global dynamics at play in the context of this change. It offers a platform for countries to unpack ideas and strategies on how to manage these geopolitical challenges and successfully navigate in an uncertain environment. The project puts a special emphasis on small, landlocked and least-developed countries and their national development paths.

Jointly with a pan-Asian group of senior experts from Afghanistan in the west to Japan in the east and from Mongolia in the north to Australia in the south, the project seeks to develop innovative solutions and policies with a diverse set of stakeholders and create new avenues for a structured and interdisciplinary exchange between decision makers and experts from Asia and Europe.

The programme will focus on a broad range of issues, including the future of multilateralism, regional integration and collective security, connectivity, trade, supply routes, resources, artificial intelligence and technological supremacy in the age of digital capitalism. It will take into perspective how the rules and terms of the international order are renegotiated in the coming years.