ASIA | Congress Beyond the West: Politics of the Global South

With the moderation of Dr. Carlos Gaspar, from Fundação Oriente (Orient Foundation), in this conference we address some of the most pressing topics of Political Science and International Relations regarding Asia. This is one of the most important regions of the Global South and its understanding is decisive for the correct interpretation of today’s international politics.

Concerning the topic “Authoritarian Trajectories”, Prof. Stein Ringen analyses many of the authoritarian regimes in the region, referring to Saudi Arabia, Russia and the current situation in Myanmar. However, the focus of his intervention is on China and on its role in backing other authoritarian regimes, also describing the democratic void present in these countries.

Prof. Jörn Dosch addresses the topic “Regional Integration”, analyzing the complex and overlapping institutional architecture in Asia and showing the multiplicity of region-building initiatives that took place in Asia to this day. Moreover, Prof. Dosch also outlines the non legally binding nature of these agreements and the will to cooperate observed among the state parties.

Finally, under the topic “Security Threats”, Prof. T.V. Paul focuses on China and on the challenges posed to its quest for hegemony, depicted as the “predominant power of the 21st century”. Nevertheless, the Prof. has also mentioned the role of other powers in the region, such as Russia, India, and Iran as well as their response to China’s expanding hegemony.