Policy Events (Dec 7 - Dec 13)
Sino-Indian rivalry in South Asia, Global Terrorism, US policy under Biden and Democracy in Southeast Asia are just some of the topics under discussion at think tank events next week.
Each week Policy People puts together a list of think tank events from around the globe. Below is our list for December 7 to December 13. There are a number of exceptional events on the Sino-Indian power dynamic in South Asia next week. As has been the trend recently, there are more panel discussions on the future of US policy under Biden. There are also events for the release of two important reports - Global Terrorism Index 2020 and COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia as well as the launch of a fascinating new book on money laundering - Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World.
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Virtual Event
THE STIMSON CENTER - Monday, December 7 @ 8:30am Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5)
Instruments of Influence? Chinese Financing in South Asia
Are Chinese-led development projects threatening states’ sovereignty in South Asia? While some analysts view the influx of Chinese funding as an opportunity for states to upgrade infrastructure, others warn the projects come with strings attached and could ultimately endanger their autonomy. In this virtual panel, contributors to Stimson’s South Asian Voices platform will explore Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani perspectives on Chinese financing, as well as its impact on the wider region.
For more information and registration: https://www.stimson.org/event/instruments-of-influence-chinese-financing-in-south-asia/
Online Book Launch
DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES - Monday, December 7 @ 4pm Central European Time (UTC+1)
Rethinking Isolationism: A talk with Charles Kupchan on US Foreign Policy
What exactly does Biden’s promise of a ‘return to American leadership’ really entail? Charles Kupchan, former member of Obama’s National Security Council and Professor at Georgetown University, argues how and why the US must “rediscover the history of isolationism and apply its lessons, shrinking its footprint abroad and bringing its foreign commitments back into line with its means and purposes”. Join him for the launch of his new book Isolationism: A History of America’s Efforts to Shield Itself From the World, where a panel of DIIS-scholars will pose questions from the context of Europe, whose ideological orientations and geopolitical alliances too are in flux.
Can’t make the event? Get the gist of Kupchan’s argument in his recent article in the Atlantic.
For more information and registration: https://www.diis.dk/en/event/rethinking-isolationism
Video Event
THE HUDSON INSTITUTE - Monday, December 7 @ 12pm Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5)
The Role of AI and Big Data in Military Operations: A Discussion with General Richard D. Clarke and Dr. Richard Shultz
Discover how the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)’s is advancing the use of AI and machine learning (ML) in the fight against current and future enemies of the United States. General Richard D. Clarke and Dr. Richard Shultz will discuss Project Maven, which automates full-motion video content collected by intelligence as well as the Department of Defense’s journey from a hardware-centric organization to one that fully harnesses the power of AI and ML software. The discussion will be moderated by Hudson scholars Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Bryan Clark.
For more information and registration: https://www.hudson.org/events/1889-video-event-the-role-of-ai-and-big-data-in-military-operations-a-discussion-with-general-richard-d-clarke-and-dr-richard-shultz122020
Online Conference
GERMAN INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL AND AREA STUDIES - Tuesday, December 8 to Thursday, December 10 @ 9am Central European Time (UTC+1)
Regional Stakes of India's Foreign Policy
Major power competition in Asia often benefits smaller, third states with their own strategic and economic interests. Given this, how does intensifying Sino-Indian competition in third countries affect bilateral relations between India and China? The conference will discuss New Delhi’s engagements in the Middle East, its South Asian neighbourhood and the wider Indo-Pacific, across three panels sessions. Moderated by Prof. Amrita Narlikar and Prof. Christophe Jaffrelot, the dialogue will also focus on how Germany’s “Indo-Pacific Guidelines” and France’s “Strategy in the Indo-Pacific” may create a joint European approach towards this vital region.
Check the conference programme on the site for panel session scheduling.
For more information and registration: https://www.giga-hamburg.de/en/event/regional-stakes-of-indias-foreign-policy
Virtual Event
FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Tuesday, December 08, @ 2pm Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5)
Special Briefing: Global Issues Facing the New Administration
Join Robert D. Kaplan and John Nagl for a conversation on the global issues facing President-elect Biden and his foreign policy team. Will America rejoin international institutions like the WHO, the Paris Accords and others? What do the selections of Anthony Blinken as Secretary of State, Jake Sullivan as national security advisor, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the U.N. tell us about Biden’s agenda? What may a new, post-pandemic world order look like? These questions and yours will guide our conversation about the future of US Foreign Policy.
For more information and registration: https://www.fpri.org/event/2020/33178/
Online Book Launch
ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE - Tuesday, December 08, @ 2:30pm GMT (UTC+0)
Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World
Riveting, horrifying and written like fiction, Kleptopia reveals a terrifying global web of corruption and shows that, while we are looking the other way, all that we hold most dear is being stolen. The book tells the untold story of the dirty money that is flooding the global economy, emboldening dictators and poisoning democracies. From the Kremlin to Beijing, Harare to Riyadh and Paris to the Trump White House, the thieves are uniting – and at terrible human cost. Join author Tom Burgis, award-winning journalist and investigative correspondent at FT, along with Alexandra Wrage, host of the Podcast ‘Bribe, Swindle or Steal’ to hear how he uncovered the story at the heart his breakthrough book.
For more information and registration: https://www.rusi.org/event/kleptopia-how-dirty-money-conquering-world
Webinar
ISEAS YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE - Tuesday, December 08 @ 3pm Singapore Time (UTC+8)
Chinese Culture and China’s Soft Power in Maritime Southeast Asia
New Chinese culture is being introduced to Southeast Asia via xinyimin (新移民) , who are typically more educated and have greater economic and geographical mobility than earlier generations of migrants. As a result, many xinyimin retain distinct identities and maintain close links to their home country with many even returning to China over the long term. In this webinar, Professors Lourdes M. Tanhueco-Nepomuceno, Peter Chang and Ho Yi Kai will delve into the impact of xinyimin on Philippine, Malaysian and Singaporean societies and their role in expanding China’s soft power in Southeast Asia.
For more information and registration: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/mec-events/chinese-culture-and-chinas-soft-power-in-maritime-southeast-asia/
Webinar
THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS - Wednesday, December 09 @ 1pm Irish Standard Time (UTC+0)
Building a Competitive, Innovative and Resilient European Economy
How is the EU future-proofing its industrial, competition and economic policy? Claudia Dörr-Voß, State Secretary of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, will reflect on developments in these areas under the German Presidency of the Council of the EU. She will also explore issues arising in the forthcoming New Industrial Strategy for Europe, which accounts for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the acceleration of the green and digital transitions.
For more information and registration: https://www.iiea.com/event/webinar-building-a-competitive-innovative-and-resilient-european-economy/
Online Talk
NEPAL INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND ENGAGEMENT - Wednesday, December 09 @ 6pm Nepal Time (UTC+5:45)
China-India Rivalry in the Globalization Era
How is the rivalry between Asia’s giants redrawing the geopolitical contours of the region? How do China and India view the newly emerging post-COVID global order and how will it shape their bilateral relations going forward? Join South Asia expert Professor T. V. Paul of Canada’s McGill University to discuss these and your own questions in this special talk.
For more information and registration: https://niice.org.np/archives/events/china-india-rivalry-in-the-globalization-era
Online Event
IMPACT AND POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Thursday, December 10 @ 5pm Indian Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
Feminist Media as an Alternative Mainstream Media: Lessons and the Way Forward amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
How has feminist media in India adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique media environment it has ushered in? What are the challenges for women’s empowerment amid rising disinformation, political division and censorship? Join Japleen Pasricha, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Feminism in India in conversation with Prof. Govind Kelkar to discuss these issues and the way forward for feminist media.
For more information and registration: https://www.impriindia.com/event/feminist-media-as-an-alternative-media/
Remote Report Launch
ASIA CENTRE - Wednesday, December 09 @ 2pm Indochina Time (UTC+7)
Report Launch: COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia - Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism
Asia Centre’s new baseline study shows how Southeast Asian governments have taken the pandemic as an opportunity to tighten their grip over their citizens. Research for the report covers the period from January to November 2020 in Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It examines the emergency decrees and laws, the suspension of democratic activities, increased surveillance and the framing of human rights activists as national security threats in the region. Join the special panel to discuss the report’s findings. The report’s release will also mark Human Rights Day, 10 December 2020.
For more information and registration: https://asiacentre.org/event/covid-19-and-democracy-in-southeast-asia-building-resilience-fighting-authoritarianism/
Virtual Report Launch
AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE - Wednesday, December 09 @ 6pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (UTC+11)
Webinar Launch: Global Terrorism Index 2020
Despite data showing a decline in terrorist attacks globally beginning in March this year, the pandemic is likely to present new and distinct counter-terrorism challenges going forward. Government responses have provided opportunities to propagate anti-government sentiment and conspiracy theories by groups that promote ethnic segregation and extreme immigration restrictions. As a result, right-wing extremism has joined Islamic extremism as a rising global threat. Join ASPI panelists with peers from Institute for Economics and Peace, as they share key findings from the report and discuss how 2020 has sown the seeds for some alarming trends in terrorism that will shake the world in the years to come.
For more information and registration: https://www.aspi.org.au/event/webinar-launch-global-terrorism-index-2020
Virtual Event
HERITAGE FOUNDATION - Friday, December 11 @ 1pm Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5)
The Navy’s Role in Great Power Competition
A new era of Great Power Competition is dawning between the US, China and Russia, and the struggle for dominance spans all the world’s oceans. The U.S. Navy is turning to meet this new threat, but the fleet has spent recent decades focused on near-coast operations and support for counterterrorism. Now, it must confront rivals on the high seas and compensate for Chinese and Russian use of non-military tactics like hybrid warfare and coercive behavior. This new era requires new thinking on the Navy’s role in America’s security. Join our expert panel for an enlightening discussion on how the Navy can engage and succeed in Great Power Competition.
For more information and registration: https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/virtual-event-the-navys-role-great-power-competition
International Online Conference
INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS POLICY - Friday, December 12 @ 12pm Central European Time (UTC+1)
Security and sovereignty in the 21st century
The conference will bring together diplomats, experts and young researchers to present their research on security and defence policy and various sovereignty-related issues. Guiding themes include the roles of state and non-state actors in cooperation and conflict; concerns of territorial, political and economic integrity of states and regions; safety and well being of people. The conference will be organised in a format of an online academic meeting. The event will comprise of live key-note speeches and pre-recorded video presentations. Registration closes December 05.
For more information and registration: http://culturalrelations.org/portfolio/sesco2020/
That’s all for now. Don’t forget to check in next week for more updates.
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Stay well and stay safe,
- Liam
Founder of Policy People