Shaping a New World order: US foreign policy after the end of the post-Cold War era.

4-5 September 2024, Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, Defence Studies Department, King's College London.

In continuity with last year’s theme – which focused on the role of the United States in an era of strategic competition – the 2024 US Foreign Policy Working Group Annual Conference will unpack how US foreign policy is adapting to and actively pursuing change of the Liberal International Order, as a reaction to the acknowledgement that ‘[t]he post-Cold War world is over, and there is an intense competition underway to determine what comes next’ – as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pointed out. This confirms key assessments of strategic documents of both the Trump and Biden administrations on the inter-state competition. 

Panels, papers and round tables will address the role of the United States in response to the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Biden administration’s efforts at remaking a liberal order by updating alliances within the West, long-term political, economic, and military competition with China, the future of economic engagement, the challenges posed to US foreign policy by the rise of nationalist populism and the aftermath of the January 6th Capitol riot – including the possibility of a second Trump administration – as well as the revitalization of NATO and US alliances and partnerships under President Biden following on from Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ stance. 

This promises to be an insightful and thought-provoking event.

Conference Programme

Day 1: Wednesday, 4 September

08:45-09:30 Registration

09:30-09:45 Welcome

09:45-11:15 Panel I: (In)security and narratives in new domains

11:30-13:00 Panel II: ‘Change and continuity at a time of strategic competition’

14:00-15:15 Workshop: publishing in US foreign policy

15:30-17:00 Panel III - The Biden administration and the era of defensive democratisation

17:15-18:30 Conference Keynote: by Prof Jennifer M Lind (Dartmouth College) with Q&A.

18:30-18:35 Closing remarks: Zeno Leoni

Day 2: Friday, 5 September

08:45-09:30 Registration

09:45-11:15 Panel IV: Roundtable – Assassination and US foreign policy.

11:30-13:00 Panel V US foreign policy and regional crises: Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Indo-Pacific

14:00-15:30 Roundtable  I - The crisis of American power and its challenges after the end of the post-Cold War order

15:45-17:15 Panel VI: Hypocritical superpower? US foreign policy, international law and human rights

17:30-17:35 Closing remarks

17:45-18:15 USFWG de-brief

A light lunch will be provided on both days.

You can follow us on social media: @USFPgroup

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