The School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA) of Fudan University, working with its partner institutions and the journal of Chinese Political Science Review, extends an invitation for the submission of papers to the workshop on “International Leadership” to be held around 19 June 2017 in Shanghai.

Deadline for Submission of paper proposals: March 20th 2017.

Since the 2008-2009 Economic Crisis, the economic balance of power has shifted away from the Western centres of power. In the following decade, it has become gradually clearer that Western great powers are increasingly turning inwards and are neither willing nor able to bear the burdens of global leadership. The election of President Trump, Brexit, and uncertainties over the future of the EU and NATO are symptoms that we are entering a new era of world politics. For the first time since WWII, the United States seems to be abandoning its internationalist vision and global leadership role, instead turning inwards if not isolationist. Meanwhile, global governance challenges are on the rise, from climate change, terrorism, migration, nuclear proliferation and cybersecurity to economic inequality, development, finance and trade. The world demands more international leadership and at the same time, it seems leadership is not sufficiently supplied and may face a further shortage.

The workshop intends to address the key issues of the coming international leadership challenges: what are the theoretical debates on international leadership? What does the new foreign policy orientation of the Trump administration imply for the future of international leadership? Are we witnessing a leadership transition where China and emerging powers provide more international leadership or rather moving into a leaderless G-Zero world? Will we see a more selective and ad hoc leadership (e.g. China on climate and trade, the United States on terrorism). Can existing institutions ensure meaningful global governance in these different issue areas? If collective leadership shall be the new normal in the new world, how can effective leadership be orchestrated collectively? Alternatively, are we moving towards a more regionalized kind of leadership and, if so, what will be the leadership landscapes in different regions of the world?