Cooperative Multipolar System: In Quest for a New World Order
3 – 4 October 2024, Hotel Aleksandar Palace – Skopje
Day 1
10:00-10:30 OPENING CEREMONY
Welcome Speech: Prof. Biljana Vankovska, Head, Global Changes Center, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Opening Address: Prof. Dr. Biljana Angelova, Rector, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Opening Address: a representative from a respective ministry in the Government (TBC)
Opening Address: Ambassador of China to Macedonia (TBC)
10:30-11:00 – Photo session and coffee break
11:00-13:00
FORUM WITH THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: LET’S TALK ABOUT MULTIPOLARITY
Moderator: Toni Mileski
1. Zhang Weiwei, Fudan University, China, „China and Cooperative Multipolarity“
2. Jan Oberg, Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, Lund, “Democracy, Peace and Cooperation in a Multipolar World”
3. Richard Sakwa, Kent University, UK, „The Culture of the Second Cold War“
4. Radhika Desai, University of Manitoba, “The Crisis of (Western Imperialist)
‘Multilateralism’ as an Opportunity for the World Majority“
13:00-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-15:00
ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH THE SPECIAL GUESTS
Host: Biljana Vankovska
Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University, “Geopolitics of Peace and the Decline of U.S. Dominance“
Mohammad Marandi, University of Teheran, „The Axes of Resistance and the Decline of the US Empire“
15:00-16:30
PANEL DISCUSSION I: DEFINING A COOPERATIVE MULTIPOLAR WORLD
1. Ivor Chipkin, New South Institute, Johannesburg, „Anti-Imperialism, National Democratic Revolution in South African and the Global South“
2. Radmila Nakarada, University of Belgrade, “Increasing global transformative capacities vs. inertia of the irrational“
3. Dragana Mitrovic, University of Belgrade, “BRICS Plus” contribution to the formation of the Cooperative Multipolar System – limits and potentials”
4. Glenn Diesen, University of South-Eastern Norway, “Greater Eurasia as a Multipolar Concept”
5. Kazuyo Yamane, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, „Peace is Possible by Non-Violent Means“
6. Hussein Askary, the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, “Dawn of a New World Order: The Supremacy of Economics over Geopolitics”
DAY 2
9:00-10:30
PANEL DISCUSSION II: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
1. Werner Raza, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE), “The EU in the emerging multipolar global order: some preliminary conceptual reflections”
2. Stavros Mavroudeas, Panteion University, Athens, “De-globalisation and the Return of the Theory of Imperialism“
3. Vladimir Pryakhin, Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU), “The Ideological Grounds of Diplomacy”?
5. Biljana Vankovska, Global Changes Center, Skopje, “The Western Balkans Multipolar Puzzle: between the West and the Rest”
6. Dejan Marolov and Jordanka Galeva, Goce Delcev University, Štip, “Navigating the Nexus: Exploring the Interplay between the Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Future Wars in Europe”
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:30
PANEL DISCUSSION III: MAKING PEACE POSSIBLE IN THE TIME OF
MONSTERS
1. Igor Radev, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, „Civilization(s): singular or plural?“
2. Clemens Huchel, Peace Institute Potsdam, Germany, „We the Civil Society—a Center of Power!? Impact of Civil Society on Peace and Flourishing Nature“
3. Otilia Sofron, Technical College Independenta, Sibiu, Romania, „Peace education in Romania“.
4. Konstantin Minovski and Antoanela Petkovska, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, „Interculturalism as one of the pillars of multipolarity: objective reality versus the false ideology of the elites“
5. Vasko Shutarov, MIT University, Skopje, “Cultural Diplomacy and the New Cold Wars“
6. Zidas Daskalovski, Faculty of Security, University of Kliment Ohridski, “Democratization of International Relations and Global Governance”.
12:30-14:00 PANEL DISCUSSION IV: INTERPLAY AND DYNAMICS OF SUBREGIONS AND REGIONAL POWERS
1. Jovan Pejkovski, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, „Political and Economic Dimensions of Multipolarity“
2. Bülent Sarper Ağır, Aydın Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, “The Emerging Multipolarity and the Implications of (Dis)Engagement of the US Foreign Policy on the Western Balkans“.
3. Marika Gjolai, Bradford University, “Peacemaking and shifting multipolarity. Lessons from Bosnia and Herzegovina”
4. Danilo Babić, Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, „Place of Sub-Saharan Africa in the multipolar world: Between the Dragon, the Polar Bear, and the European ‘Gateway’ “.
5. Oncel Sencerman, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, “Rwanda’s Transformation Into a Regional Power“
14:00-15:00 Lunch Break
15:00-16:30
PANEL DUSCUSSION 5: THE BALKANS AND MULTIPOLARITY PUZZLE
1. Toni Mileski, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, “Macedonia between the failed and a new strategic hedging concept“
2. Frosina Vitkovska, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, “The Sino-
Macedonian Cultural Foundations of Multipolarity in the New Era of AI and Emerging Technologies”
3. Ekrem Yaşar Akcay, Hakkari University, „Concentric circles model in the EU and Turkiye-EU Relations“.
4. Sanja Jelisavac Trošić and Mitko Arnaudov, Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, „Political and economic challenges and opportunities of small states in the chapter of re-building infrastructure of international relations: Case study of Serbia and North Macedonia“.
5. Adrian Waters, University of Graz, “The crisis of liberal hegemony in the Western Balkans“
6. Kivanc Ulusoy, University of Istanbul, „Turkiye’s position vis a vis the war between Ukraine and Russia“
7. Blagica Sekovska, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, “Food security – an important factor in the time of the global changes“.
