NSU Webinar Explores Geopolitical Shifts in the New World Order
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) at North South University hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “Conflict and Cooperation in the New World Order” on Wednesday, featuring renowned geopolitical scholar Professor John Rennie Short as the keynote speaker.
Professor Short, emeritus of School of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, offered an incisive analysis of the shifting global landscape, arguing that the era of uncontested U.S. dominance has given way to a complex multipolar world. He highlighted the rise of China, a remilitarizing Europe and an increasingly assertive Global South as defining features of the new order.
He also pointed to demographic forces, such as the political energy among youth in countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, and emphasized that economic nationalism, trade realignments, and militarized alliances are reshaping global power dynamics. Despite rising tensions, shared existential challenges like climate change and pandemics continue to drive reluctant but essential international cooperation.
Citing his recent essay in The Conversation, Professor Short noted that the emerging world order is unlikely to be defined by a single hegemon, but by strategic hedging and pragmatic diplomacy among both established and rising powers.
The session was moderated by Professor Norman K. Swazo, director of NSU’s Office of Research. In his opening remarks, SHSS Dean Professor Md Rizwanul Islam contextualized the discussion by tracing historical shifts in global power, expressing hope for a peaceful and gradual transition to the new order.
The lecture concluded with an engaging Q&A session, addressing topics ranging from youth political engagement to the Global South’s evolving role in global geopolitics.
