Ινστιτούτο Ερευνών
ΠΡΟΜΗΘΕΑΣ
03 JUNE
EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS
Room 116 (Old Building, 1st Floor)
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About the Conference
The global order is at a turning point. The decline of US-led unipolarity has given rise to multipolarity, where multiple centers of power—especially in the Global South—are reshaping international relations. This shift is opening possibilities for a new, more equitable and cooperative world order.
Amidst this transformation, China has put forward the concept of a Global Community of Shared Future, a vision that challenges traditional hegemonic models by promoting mutual respect, cooperation, and common prosperity.
To address these critical questions, the Research Institute Promitheas and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) co-orgnaise an international conference in Cyprus. This event will bring together scholars and experts from China, Cyprus, and Europe to analyze the transition to multipolarity, the implications for global peace, security, and economic stability, how this approach can be beneficial for southern European countries, especially Cyprus; a country that is divided since the Turkish occupation of 1974.
PROGRAM
TUESDAY, 03 June 2025
download the program HERE
WELCOME ADDRESS
09:30 | Menelaos Menelaou
President of the Board of Directors of the Research Institute Promitheas
09:35 | Ambassador Liu Yantao
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Cyprus
09:40 | Dionysos Alexiou
Executive Director, Foundation of Parliamentarism of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus
09:45 | Multilateralism, the European perspective
Theodoros Rousopoulos
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(Presenting through live streaming )
10:00 | China and Europe need to jointly uphold multilateralism
Feng Zhongping
Director of the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
ABSTRACT:
The world has entered a multipolar era. Multipolarization and multilateralism are two sides of the same coin. Addressing global challenges such as climate change also requires international multilateral cooperation. However, multilateralism is facing serious threats. Geopolitical conflicts, competition among major powers, and especially the "America First" policy of the Trump administration in the United States have impacted multilateralism. As the world's second and third largest economies, China and Europe need to resolutely oppose unilateralism and protectionism and jointly safeguard international multilateralism.
INTRODUCTORY SPEECH
KEY-NOTE SPEECH
SESSION 1
UNDERSTANDING MULTILATERALISM & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Moderator: Katerina Neophytou, Research Institute Promitheas
10:30 | China's Role and Vision in the Changing International Order
Kong Tianping
Research Fellow, Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
ABSTRACT:
We are living in turbulent times, and we are witnessing dramatic changes in the international order. Bloody wars and conflicts, brutal geopolitical rivalry, rising economic nationalism have made the world more insecure and unstable. Although multipolarity is the order of the day, the road to a multipolar world is bound to be bumpy. China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of international order and a provider of public goods. China’s vision is to build a community with a shared future for mankind, to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
10:45 | The Eastern Mediterranean in a Multipolar World
Zenonas Tziarras
Lecturer, Department of Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cyprus
ABSTRACT:
The Eastern Mediterranean is emerging as a strategic crossroads in an increasingly multipolar world. This presentation explores the region’s evolving geopolitical dynamics, shaped by critical events, shifting alliances, geopolitical competition, and the growing influence regional and extra-regional powers. The talk will highlight how global power fragmentation and diffusion is reshaping traditional Western dominance as well as drives the West's survival mode in the Eastern Mediterranean. The presentation aims to offer insights into the region’s future trajectory and its broader implications for international order, conflict resolution, and cooperative frameworks in a complex and contested global landscape.
11:00 | De-globalisation, Multipolarity and the Return of the Theory of Imperialism
Stavros Mavroudeas
Professor of Political Economy at the Department of Social Policy, Panteion University
ABSTRACT:
The globalization hypothesis (i.e. the argument that modern capitalism has once and for all discarded the nation state and became a truly unified ‘global village’) was overwhelmingly popular since the 1990s. This was coupled with the expansion of a multifaceted theoretical trend that rejected previous analytical tools and purported that it ushered new ones, tailor-made to the new ‘globalisation era’. Especially within Political Economy, the globalization discourse rejected the theory of Imperialism (that emphasized antagonisms and the role of the national economy) for a theory of global interconnectedness (emphasizing co-operation and deterritorialization). However, the course of events of the real world radically diverged from the stylized beliefs of the globalization discourse. Particularly, before and increasingly after the 2008 capitalist crisis, antagonisms along national lines and military conflicts proliferated. De-globalisation and multipolarity are nowadays the focal points of debates in international political economy. These developments signify the necessity for a return to the classical Marxist theory of Imperialism as the appropriate analytical framework to grasp the political economy of the international system
INTERSESSION SPEECH
Forging Effective Participation of Countries from the Global South in International Organizations:
A Practitioner's Perspective on the Evolving New Multilateral Diplomacy’ Environment.
11:30 | Ambassador Amr Aljowaily
Ambassador, Director for Civil and Diaspora Organizations, the African Union Commission, Visiting Faculty, Multilateral Diplomacy Program, UNITAR and DIPLO Foundation
ABSTRACT:
Multilateral diplomacy practices within international organizations, and particularly the United Nations, have been evolving steadily. The impact has not necessarily been in favor of developing countries, and their negotiating coalitions from the Global South, who were more at ease with the traditional, mainly intergovernmental, form of multilateral diplomacy. This evolution necessitates an adjustment, if not a more transformative redefinition, of the promotion and protection of the interests of the Global South in such forums through setting concrete goals that would consider the change in the nature and activities of international organizations. As countries of the Global South redesign their interests to adjust to the evolving practices of international organizations within the ‘new multilateral diplomacy’, they need to develop a comprehensive, yet feasible and practical, strategy that trickles down from the stage of general objectives to the level of specific goals, which in turn should be translated into concrete tangible proposals, including specific activities. For the strategy to be effective and comprehensive, would need to be developed at four levels and components: conceptual and doctrinal framework, substantive and contentive vision, as well programmatic activities and administrative/institutional structures, all within an overall coherent and interlinked framework.
Keywords: Global South, Multilateral Diplomacy, International Organizations, Multistakeholderism, Strategic Goals.
SESSION 2
THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN A MULTILATERAL WORLD: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Moderator: Prof. Kostas Gouliamos, Deputy President of the BoD of the Research Institute Promitheas
11:50 | China and the EU in a Multipolar world
He Zhigao
Director and Associate Research Fellow of Department of European Politics, Institute of European Studies, CASS
ABSTRACT:
Multipolarity is the key words for the current international society, which is not only embodied in the transform of material power, but also refers to the evolution of normative structure. As two vital forces in international society, especially embedded in the US-China-Europe trilateral relationship, the EU and China concentrated on maintaining the stability of the global economic system, upheld multilateralism, and delivered public goods in the interest of the international community. Amid the changing global power structure and norms pattern, co-evolution might be the backbone of China-EU relationship.
12:05 | The EU as a Force of Peace and Stability in the new Multipolar World
Evangelos Kalpadakis
Career diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. He is the Coordinator of the Alexis Tsipras Institute
ABSTRACT:
In an increasingly multipolar world of multiple crises, it is more important than ever for the EU to become not just a force of deterrence, but also a force of peace and stability in terms of strengthening multilateral diplomacy and conflict resolution on the basis of international law, in its own neighborhood. This means learning from past mistakes of western military initiatives, building institutional capacities, strengthening its strategic autonomy in relation to the US while retaining transatlantic dialogue, as well as developing a new strategic perspective in relation to Ukraine, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Balkans.
12:20 | Leveraging a Transforming Global Order: The EU’s Strategic Opportunity in a Multipolar Era
Sylvie Matelly
Economist and Director of the Institut Jacques Delors
ABSTRACT:
In a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, Europe’s economy faces significant challenges, as highlighted by recent Draghi-Letta reports. Nonetheless, the European Union can seize this moment to boost growth through robust multilateral frameworks and targeted reforms. By reaffirming its commitment to rule-based governance and exploring balanced engagement strategies with China, the EU can foster new trade, investment, and technological partnerships. This presentation will highlight how strategic autonomy and principled leadership can enable Europe to overcome economic headwinds, strengthen its global standing, and actively shape an inclusive, cooperative future in our interconnected world.
DISCUSSION
13:00 | Lunch Break
(light meal will be served)
SESSION 3
GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT IN AN ERA OF GEOPOLITICAL TRANSFORMATION
Moderator: Han Meng (Deputy Director of department of Central and Eastern Europe, Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
14:00 | Multilateralism and global economic recovery
Tian Huifang
Senior Research Fellow, Research Director of China-CEE institute, CASS
ABSTRACT:
The global economy stands at a new crossroads with both opportunities and challenges. The rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and green energy is reshaping the global economic landscape. In 2025, these technologies may enter the stage of large-scale commercialization and become an important driving force for economic growth. In addition, the trend of localization and diversification of supply chains is changing the traditional international trade model, and regional economic integration (such as RCEP and CPTPP) may promote further trade growth. However, issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China-US relations, climate change and energy transformation may continue to affect the global supply chain, energy prices, and trade patterns. In particular, Trump's tariff policies seem to trigger economic recession and market turmoil, and the global South has to bear a heavy burden. In such a complex international situation, only international cooperation and development innovation can resist the impact of protectionism, enhance the economic resilience of developing economies, and achieve stable growth of the global economy.
14:15 | Cyprus and the European Union at the crossroads of the international economic order
Charis Polycarpou
Economist, Member of the Political Bureau, Head of Economic Studies Bureau of AKEL
ABSTRACT:
The Trump administration's imposition of increased tariffs has signalled a new aggressive shift in US economic and trade policy—a decision that affects not only economic relations but goes beyond. Cyprus, as a member of the European Union, is facing a set of challenges. How will Cyprus and the EU react? What are the main elements of a possible reaction/negotiation and will this reaction move to other areas than trade policy? What are the benefits of a unilateral versus multilateral approach for Cyprus?
14:15 |Portugal and Cyprus in a Changing Global Economic Order: Small States, Shared Ambitions
Vanda Maria Sequeira
Ambassador of Portugal to Cyprus
ABSTRACT:
As the global economic order transitions toward multipolarity, small states like Portugal and Cyprus face both constraints and opportunities. Often overlooked in global governance debates, these countries have nonetheless demonstrated that principled multilateralism, regional cooperation, and strategic diplomacy can amplify their influence. This intervention reflects on Portugal’s approach—rooted in its global historical ties and active engagement in multilateral fora—and draws parallels with Cyprus’s efforts to assert its agency at the crossroads of Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. It will explore how both countries contribute to more inclusive, sustainable, and cooperative forms of global economic governance, by fostering dialogue across regions, institutions, and political traditions. In doing so, the presentation highlights the value of small-state perspectives in shaping meaningful responses to today’s complex global challenges.
DISCUSSION
SESSION 4
DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MULTILATERALISM
Moderator: Sotiroula Yiasemi (PhD, Translation Studies, Project Manager at the Research Institute Promitheas)
15:15 | The Global Civilization Initiative and the building of an international order based on multi-polarity
Zhang Jinling
Director and Research Fellow of Department of European Society and Culture, Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
ABSTRACT:
Building an international order based on multi-polarity is conducive for each member of the international Community to express fully its own position and claims, to facilitate in-depth dialogue and mutual learning among different countries, and to maintain the world peace and prosperity. The "Global Civilization Initiative" proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2023 calls for jointly advocating the respecting for the diversity of civilizations, the promotion of the common values of humanity, the emphasizing the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the consolidating of international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, which puts forward a strong theoretical framework and an operational action plan for the development of the international order on the basis of multipolarity.
15:30 | In a World That Tilts: The Way to Peace and Social Justice
David Pestieau
Political Director of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PVDA-PTB) and Head of PVDA-PTB Studies Department
ABSTRACT:
We analyze a “tilting” world order, marked by the rise of Asia and the decline of United States and European Union, with technological shifts creating new resource battles and the threat of a new cold war.
We address the danger of the significant rearmament program in Germany and Europe—benefiting arms producers and diverting funds from public services—driven by war hysteria.
We explore the opportunities for broad mobilizations of the working class and peoples around the world, in both the Global North and the Global South, focused on peace and social justice, with the perspective of a socialist future.
15:45 | Bolstering multilateralism for human progress and cultural equality: Cyprus’ and China's engagement
Prof. Kostas Gouliamos
Member of BoD Promitheas, Director of EUC Center of Chinese Studies
ABSTRACT:
In a complex world of both extended crisis and pepretual turbulence, the presentation aims to explore and discuss the Chinese "Global Civilisation Initiative" as a cultural engagement to build and strengthen (I) a multipolar world, (II) a global community of common destiny and (III) mutual learning types to advance the progress of human civilisations.
DISCUSSION
INTERSESSION SPEECH
Prospects for the world economy and geopolitics in the year 2050 (Presenting through live streaming from USA)
Introducing Prof. Sachs | Prof. Stavros Malas
Professor of Genetics and Development, President of The Cyprus Institute
16:15 | Prof. Jeffrey Sachs
Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, economics professor, bestselling author, innovative educator and global leader in sustainable development.
ABSTRACT:
The world economy is rapidly evolving under the dynamics of economic convergence, climate change, and technological advance. I will discuss the prospects for the world in 2050 based on plausible dynamics of economic and geopolitical change. We will live in a multipolar and multilateral world, not one dominated by the US, or China, or any other single region.
Short bio
Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he directed the Earth Institute from 2002 until 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, and Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University. He has been Special Advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary General António Guterres. He spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, where he received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Sachs has received 42 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. His most recent books are The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020) and Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).
CLOSING SESSION
Conclusive Remarks
16:45 | Feng Zhongping
Director of the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
17:00 | Menelaos Menelaou
President of the Bod of the Research Institute Promitheas
Speakers & Moderators
(in order of presentation)
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN A FAST-CHANGING WORLD:
Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind