IPSA RC 41 Panels on 2023 World Congress of Political Science

Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 15-19, 2023

 

1. World Order in Transition? Major Power Competition and Comparative Regional Conflicts (online/closed)

Chair: Dr. Sharyl Cross.

This panel will explore implications of a shifting world order or lack of order for regional conflict clashes throughout the world.  Panelists will employ international relations theories and frameworks to analyze sources and consequences of major power competition as the world security environment shifts from a unipolar to multipolar structure.  Regional case study conflicts among panel papers will provide a basis for assessing similarities and differences in interests and strategies among competing major powers. The panel should yield research findings of relevance to both the academic and policy communities.

 

2. Neoclassical Geopolitics: Theory, Methodology, Empirical Case Studies (onsite/open)

Chair: Dr. Nuno Morgado. Co-Chair: Dr. Igor Okunev.

Neoclassical geopolitics has been emerging as a stream or a renovated body of scientific tools for the study of International Relations. The purpose of this panel is to focus on geographical and identity realities as the substance of the geopolitical approach and, therefore, increase the explanatory power of international phenomena by the neoclassical geopolitics’ stream. In this way, the core lines of this panel are designed by theories, variables, factors, and concepts, with the highest value for geopolitical analysis.

 

3. Post-Westphalian Approach to Sovereignty: Political Space through New Lenses? (onsite/open)

Chair: Dr. Martin Riegl.

While the demise of the Westphalian state, predicted in the euphoria at the end of the Cold War, did not occur, the 21st century brought many new challenges to the established paradigm of Western-style sovereignty. The increase in anomalies in the political space – territorial terrorist groups, continued rampant warlordism, international business conglomerates and non-governmental organisations, stalled global integration, along with the continued de-territorialisation/re-territorialisation of traditionally powerful states – warrants the re-evaluation of the theoretical and conceptual prisms used to analyse our current world. This panel aims to discuss and evaluate novel or repurposed approaches to sovereignty to better capture the modern geopolitical reality.