This webinar will be livecast from 4:00 p.m. IST.
This event is being jointly organised by BRICS Russia Expert Council, National Committee on BRICS Research (Russia), and Observer Research Foundation.
Even as the world continues to grapple with the wide-ranging impact of COVID-19 — seeking to understand the domestic and international repercussions of the pandemic — the ripple effects of heightened uncertainty surrounding the future of the international system can already be felt across state boundaries and global institutions. Needless to say, the world order was already in flux even before the pandemic hit, characterised by a decline of the liberal world order and the rise of China. But the pandemic has brought into sharp relief the limitations of global governance institutions, the ordering of the international system, the future of globalisation, and contestation about the future norms of conduct.
From geopolitics to geo-economics, the consequences of COVID-19 are expected to be far-reaching and all-encompassing. The prospects of a deepening rivalry between the US and China, the feeble response from international organisations to a crisis of global proportions and the enormity of the task of rebuilding the world economy has inevitably led to questions regarding the future of the world order. In the immediate period, the focus is on containing the virus and protecting the population. But this involves a broader debate on public health, technology, pharmaceuticals, knowledge sharing and research.
It is within this context that this discussion will take place, seeking to analyse the impact of the changes underway in the global system on key issues of the world order, multilateral institutions, and bilateral engagements. Both India and Russia will have to grapple with these questions as they navigate this unpredictable environment — both at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
What will be the role of the two strategic partners in this new world order? What does the future of international institutions look like and what does it mean for multilateral organisations like BRICS, of which both India and Russia are important members? What are the major challenges faced by global institutions in tackling the pandemic? Can India and Russia lead BRICS towards enhanced collaboration in areas like public health, setting the stage for further cooperation on other challenges including climate change? What will be the impact of the changing world order on the functioning of multilateral institutions in general and on BRICS in particular? And what do these developments mean for bilateral Indo-Russia relations?
Alexey Kupriyanov, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Lydia Kulik, Head of India Studies, SKOLKOVO Institute for Emerging Market Studies; Research Fellow, Center for Indian Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS
Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, ORF
Nivedita Kapoor, Junior Fellow, ORF
Samir Saran, President, ORF
Sergey Lunev, Professor of the Oriental Studies Department of the MGIMO University
Suhasini Haidar, National Editor and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu
Tatiana Shaumyan, Head of the Center for Indian Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, ORF
Victoria Panova, Scientific Supervisor of the BRICS Russia Expert Council, Managing Director of the National Committee on BRICS Research
