Tomorrow government representatives, international organisations, business leaders, philanthropists and academics - including our Dean Ngaire Woods - will meet in Davos, Switzerland for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The theme of the meeting this year is “The New Global Context”. The era of economic integration and international partnership might be ending, and profound political, economic, social and technological transformations are changing the way we look at the future and we make decisions.

Just like last year, Ngaire will be involved in a number of public and private events and meetings while at Davos. As moderator of an Open Forum on “The End of Democracy?” she will ask panelists what has gone wrong with democracy, and more importantly, how it can be revived.

Ngaire will also be moderating a Forum Debate on “The Multipolar World”, leading a discussion about the declining role of the United States leadership and how that will affect global governance. Panelists confirmed to date include H.R.H. Prince Turki Al Faisal Al SAud (Prince of Saudi Royal Family), Jan Eliasson (Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations), Jane Harman (Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars), Ursula vor der Leyen (Federal Minister of Defence, Germany) and Yung Buyng-Se (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea). The good news is that this Forum Debate, scheduled for Friday, will be webcast live so it will be accessible for those who are not in Davos too.

Davos provides an informal space for leaders to meet with each other, discuss pressing issues and identify solutions. In this environment, Ngaire will have the opportunity to introduce the Blavatnik School of Government’s teaching and research to world leaders and international organisations.

Dean Ngaire Woods will be moderating the following debates:

Wednesday 21 January

  • Big History, Big Future: From the origins of life to megacities - What can leaders learn about cooperation from the origins of humankind to the formation of civilization?
  • The End of Democracy? - Democratic uprisings in the 21st century have resulted in failed states and social unrest. The United States used to be a model for political and economic dynamism but now other nations offer attractive alternatives that dissociate economic from political freedoms. Is democracy on the wane?

Thursday 22 January

  • Big History, Big Future: Innovation since the modern revolution - What can leaders learn about innovation from evolutionary biology to the scientific and industrial revolution that shaped our modern world?

Friday 23 January

  • Forum debate: The Multipolar World - Will global governance stall as American leadership weakens? Join this Arena debate on the motion t hat the retreat of American leadership will paralyse global governance institutions. This session is webcast live from 09.15-10.15 am 
  • Big History, Big future: Globalisation, growth and stability - What can leaders learn about the foundations of globalization from the origins of international trade to the advent of the Anthropocene era?

 

Keep checking the side bar menu as we add links to recordings of sessions and coverage.

Find out more about Davos 2015 and the live webcast