Shifting Paradigms

Devastation extends far beyond visible destruction — it disrupts economies, weakens institutions, and reshapes the foundations of governance and development. As global power dynamics shift, so too do the frameworks guiding recovery and reconstruction. This discussion brings together experts to examine how post-conflict reconstruction can foster sustainable and equitable renewal amid changing geopolitical realities. Drawing on historical experience and contemporary challenges, the panel will examine how questions of sovereignty, financing, and global influence are redefining what it means to rebuild in a transforming world order.

🎥 Watch the fourth event on YouTube

Featured Speakers

Adam Tooze (Moderator) is Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History; the Chair of the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University; Director, European Institute.

Joseph Daher is Associate Researcher at the Bonn International Center For Conflict Studies (BICC) and an expert on the political economy of the Middle East.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno is Arnold A. Saltzman Professor of Practice in International and Public Affairs; Director of SIPA’s Kent Global Leadership Program on Conflict Resolution; Director of International Conflict Resolution Specialization.

Jalel Harchaoui is a political scientist specializing in North Africa, with a specific focus on Libya.
 

Recent developments in Syria are reshaping the political landscape of the wider Middle East, as regional actors reassess their strategies and alliances in light of the shifting balance of power. In the third webinar of our “Shifting Paradigms” series, a panel of experts will delve into the evolving dynamics and their broader impact on regional geopolitics, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Themes to be discussed include the trajectory of HTS in governing Syria, the prospects for Syria’s unity or fragmentation, and the regional implications for trade, energy, and political alliances.

🎥 Watch the third event on YouTube

Featured Speakers

Adam Tooze (Moderator) is Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History; the Chair of the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University; Director, European Institute.

Ibrahim Al-Assil is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University.

Rime Allaf is a Syrian-born writer, a policy and diplomacy adviser, and a communications strategist.

Aydın Selcen is a former Turkish diplomat and an experienced commentator focusing on Syria and Iraq.
 

The webinar will delve into the roots and global rise of right-wing and far-right movements, examining their diverse manifestations across regions and their impact on democratic institutions, international cooperation, and the evolving world order. Experts will examine the weakening of the rules-based international order and the potential impact of a U.S. retreat from the Atlantic alliance, alongside the growing personalization of foreign policy that sidesteps international norms and institutions.

🎥 Watch the second event on YouTube

Featured Speakers

Adam Tooze (Moderator) is Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History; the Chair of the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University; Director, European Institute.

Fernando Alvarado is a Partner and Geopolitical and Political Risk Consultant at Windward Observer Consulting, Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Economics at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, and Adjunct Professor at Universidad Adolfo Ibañez's School of Liberal Arts.

Senem Aydın-Düzgit is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Sabancı University, and the Director of Istanbul Policy Center.

Sheri Berman is a Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University.

The first discussion of the series titled “Emerging Powers and the New Multipolarity,” addresses how world politics is transitioning from a unipolar to a multipolar order, the key markers of this change in international relations and how the rise of alternative power centers is influencing the global economic system. The webinar also explores the role of international institutions like the United Nations, NATO, the IMF, and the World Bank, as well as the challenges of reform in a world where some states are increasingly questioning the legitimacy and relevance of global governance mechanisms.

🎥 Watch the first event on YouTube

Featured Speakers

Wafaa El-Sadr (Opening Remarks) Executive Vice President, Columbia Global; Global Director, ICAP at Columbia University; Director, Columbia World Projects; University Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine; Mathilde Krim-amfAR Chair of Global Health

Adam Tooze (Moderator) is Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor of History; the Chair of the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University; Director, European Institute

Ahmed Aboudouh is an Associate Fellow with the Chatham House MENA Program and a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C.

Rami G. Khouri is a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow at the American University of Beirut;  Director of Anthony Shadid Archives Research Project (CASAR); and an op-ed contributor to Aljazeera

Soli Özel is a Fellow at Institute for Human Sciences, Vienna; and a Senior Fellow at Institut Montaigne