PROGRAMM

Most observers—at least in the West—agree that the 21st century has been particularly tumultuous. But while some explain the volatility of our times by reference to historical analogies, e.g. moments in the 20th century that witnessed power transitions, others claim that we are in a moment of polycrisis for which there is no precedent. AYŞE ZARAKOL, Professor of International Relations at the University of Cambridge, holds that mainstream discourse on international relations is wrong to assume that the 21st century will resemble its predecessor. However, as she will argue in conversation with Guardian US editor BETSY REED, there are other historical precedents that we can use to better theorize about the current predicament.

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AYŞE ZARAKOL is a professor of international relations at the University of Cambridge. The main themes of her research are East-West relations and social hierarchies in world politics, problems of modernity and sovereignty, and rising and declining powers. She is the author of Before the West: The Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders (Cambridge University Press, 2022), which has won six prestigious awards. In 2024, Zarakol was elected to fellowship in the British Academy and the Academia Europaea.