Session Description: The Arctic is at the forefront of global change, where climate, geopolitics, and innovation converge. This session, titled "Geopolitics of the Arctic: Competition and Collaboration", examines the region's growing strategic importance as melting ice opens new trade routes and access to resources. Nicolas Jouan will guide us through the complexities of Arctic geopolitics, focusing on the interplay between competition and collaboration among major powers, including China, Russia, and Western nations.

Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė is Co-founder at the Council on Geostrategy where she is responsible for the organisation’s strategy and growth. She is also a Fellow of the Durham Institute of Research, Development, and Invention (DIRDI). Her areas of research expertise and interests include Euro-Atlantic geopolitics, Eastern European and Baltic politics and security and maritime affairs. Her previous experience includes research and external affairs roles at the Henry Jackson Society.

With the start of the second term of the Trump administration, questions arise about the impact of his administration’s policies on South East Europe i.e the Balkans and Turkey. From U.S. engagement in the region to shifts in diplomatic priorities and methodologies, this discussion will explore the potential consequences for political stability, economic ties, and security dynamics.

The transition away from fossil fuels in Europe is a crucial step toward addressing climate change. But also it is a process fraught with significant geopolitical and practical challenges. Traditional oil and gas suppliers to the European Union will face a significant decline in demand, and hence earnings, as Europe moves towards net zero. Many of these supplier countries are relatively poor, growing and in neighbourhoods much less stable than the EU.

Universities have symbolized inclusion and social mobility since World War II, with "diversity" now firmly established as a cultural and institutional value in global higher education. However, despite its widespread presence, diversity remains an ambiguous and contested concept. Questions about whom the term encompasses and the values or benefits it offers continue to provoke debate. This paper examines the varying definitions and justifications underpinning the diversity frameworks adopted by universities in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and India.

The President of Montenegro will discuss the nation’s aspirations for European Union membership amidst the evolving dynamics of EU enlargement. As a front-runner among Western Balkan countries in accession negotiations, Montenegro plays a pivotal role in the region's European integration narrative. The President will provide an in-depth analysis of Montenegro’s progress towards meeting EU accession criteria.

The scholarly literature on EU-China relations often draws a dichotomous distinction between material and ideational factors, frequently overemphasizing the 'interest versus value' motif that underpins this complex relationship. Despite its importance, the diplomacy and future trajectory of EU-China relations remain opaque and incalculably intricate. This talk moves beyond binary frameworks by introducing a novel theoretical model of diplomatic relationship-building.