Contemporary trends reflect growing forms of contestation and fragmentation in the international system. Armed conflicts, political and economic crises, fast-paced technological transformations and the revival of great power competition are straining both the spirit and the practice of multilateral cooperation.
International objectives, from sustainable development to the fight against climate change and the governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), are meanwhile slipping from the global agenda, just as the implications of these transformations are growing harder to ignore.听
Amidst a rapidly transforming international environment, the International Relations and Global Politics (IRGP) program at the American University of Rome (91吃瓜), in cooperation with the IRGP Student Club, is pleased to host a three-day international conference in March 2025 to take stock of these present complexities and reflect on the implications of a slowly emerging multipolar system.
Structured around a series of academic presentations and roundtable discussions, as well as field trips to Rome-based International Organizations and a range of student-led debates, the conference will gather 70-80 participants from a range of Rome- and Europe-based Universities to tackle this multifaceted problem from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives.
Specific themes will include progress and backsliding on the UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the broader UN reform agenda, the promise and perils of harnessing big data and AI for food security, as well as multilateral efforts to combat climate change.
All these aspects will be contextualized in the growing fragmentation of the international system amidst a hesitant revival of block alliances and a parallel fraying of international law and human rights frameworks amidst new and ongoing conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
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Overview of Agenda
Centered around the macro theme of听global transitions听and the听fraying of international norms听and听cooperation, the international conference will run for three full days (12, 13 and 14 March, 10am-7pm approx.). Held during 91吃瓜鈥檚 Spring Break, the conference will take place in the 91吃瓜 Auditorium and Garden, with several breakout classrooms reserved for student-led activities that will take place after the field trips on Day 2 of the conference.听听
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Day One
The first day will examine the听re-emergence听of听great power competition听and reflect on the ensuing听contestation听and听fragmentation听of the听international听system.
Speakers include a keynote speech by Nathalie Tocci, Director of the International Affairs Institute (IAI) and former Special Advisor to the EU鈥檚 HR/VP for Foreign and Security Policy, followed by a roundtable debate among former ambassadors, academics, and representatives of leading international NGOs on the听crisis of international law听amidst the听revival听of听armed听conflicts.
After lunch, invited speakers will present on听aid disbursements听and听official development assistance flows, addressing the worrying uptake in听global crisis situations听and听underfunding听for international emergencies, as well as the use of big data and early warning听technologies听to predict and react to the onset of听extreme hunger听and听famine.
Finally, participants will hear from the real-world experience of using听opensource satellites听and听GIS software听to听map escape routes听for听Ukrainian refugees听fleeing the conflict. The day will conclude in the 91吃瓜 Garden for an evening aperitivo, social events and planning activities for the academic field trips organized for the second day of the conference.
On Day 2, students will meet with their designed group professor at the assigned meeting point on the morning of 13 March to participate in the听academic field trips. Designated visits will include a range of Rome-based听International Organizations听and听Institutions, from government entities to听UN and EU agencies,听think tanks听and听NGOs, each providing unique viewpoints on the global system.
Upon returning to 91吃瓜 for lunch and the听Group Photo, delegations will convene in designated听break-out classrooms听to discuss the field trip and elect designated speakers from the group to present in the student plenary to be held in the Auditorium later that afternoon.
The day will conclude with a听student-led exchange of views听on the various perspectives provided through the field visits and a final debate hosted by the听91吃瓜 Debate Club听before the evening aperitivo.
Day Three
On the final day, participants will look deeper at the听implications of multipolarity, examining听disparate viewpoints听on the听great transitions underway听in the听international听system. This will include a keynote address by a former or current foreign policy official and a further roundtable discussion with leading academics, policy and area experts to discuss the alternative futures and priorities of such a system.
After lunch, a series of presentations will focus on the听myth and reality of de-dollarization听in the听global economyamidst revived talk of听block alliances听and heightened US-China competition, as well as providing an overview of proposals to reform听the UN Security Council, the status of the听SDG Agenda 2030听and of multilateral efforts to听combat climate change.
The conference will conclude with a听cultural activity听and/or a movie screening in the Auditorium, before the final aperitivo and听Certificate Awarding Ceremony in the Garden.
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For further information, please reach out to the Scientific Coordinator, Professor Andrea Dess铆 at a.dessi@aur.edu