MATTHEW STEPHEN
International Power Shifts and Conflicts over Global Governance
Friday, March 4, 9:00 am - 10:00 AM, Gellner room
Abstract
A shifting distribution of power between states is a key contemporary trend. New powers such as China and India have changed the global balance of power, altered the character of the global economy, and brought new interests and ideas into the international arena. At the same time, world politics is characterized by high interdependence, denationalized policy challenges, and an increased number of international institutions. Often associated with American hegemony, these institutions have become central to the ‘liberal international order’ and the governance of the global economy. Many observers are concerned about a loss of Western influence, and about the challenges that new powers may pose to Western interests and values. But how big is this challenge? And how is global governance changing as a result of the emergence of new powers? In this talk I will discuss my research on these questions. I will argue that even despite a lack of fundamental conflict, the rise of new powers poses a serious challenge to contemporary global governance.
Biography
Matthew Stephen is a Research Fellow in the Global Governance research unit at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He graduated summa cum laude from the Free University Berlin in 2013. He was an Einstein Doctoral Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2012), and a visiting researcher at the University of Sydney (2013) and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies in Hamburg (2014). His research focuses on emerging powers and legitimacy in global governance, and has been published in journals such as the European Journal of International Relations, Globalizations, and Review of International Studies, among others.