Reference Points for a World in Flux

The tectonic plates of world politics are shifting. The world order is creaking and folding back on itself. The image of Vladimir Putin, sitting alone at his large white marble table with the occasional stray conversation partner at the far end, has become iconic. The image is telling in more ways than one. The great leaders have literally withdrawn. They too live in their own bubbles, and it is unclear how they are being informed.

They now focus exclusively on the interests of their own group – and therefore also decide first who belongs to that group. Others are, at best, rivals; at worst, opponents to be eliminated. And citizens who no longer know which way to turn or where to find solid ground cling anxiously to strong leaders offering clear, unambiguous answers. Information is crucial. It has a profound impact on the place of journalists and scientists in our society.

The schedule

7:30 pm | Welcome and introduction
by Erik De Bom, Acting Director of UCSIA

7:40 pm   |   COVID as a particle accelerator of tribalism
by Koert Debeuf (VUB)

Since 2006, globalization and democratization have been in decline worldwide, while polarization and authoritarianism have been on the rise. More and more walls are being built, and the number of wars is also increasing. For a moment, it seemed as if the COVID crisis might serve as the catharsis to reverse this negative trend, but in this lecture Koert Debeuf shows that the opposite turned out to be true.

Koert Debeuf is a philosopher, historian, and geopolitical analyst. He is currently professor of Middle Eastern and World Politics at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where he is also director of the Caroline Pauwels Academy of Critical Thinking. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of EUobserver, director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, chief of staff to the chair of the liberal group in the European Parliament, and speechwriter and spokesperson for the prime minister. From 2011 to 2016, he lived in Cairo, from where he travelled extensively throughout the Middle East.

8:20 pm   |   Media as ammunition, target, or de‑miners in a new great‑power conflict?
by Maarten Rabaey (De Morgen)

‘The first casualty of war is truth’, was already said during World War I. Today, this still holds. Since its bloody invasion of Ukraine, Russia has bombarded its own population and Europeans with propaganda and disinformation, while critical voices are imprisoned or killed. But even in free and pluralistic Europe, the loud drum of war can sometimes drown out a calm debate about the right balance between defence, diplomacy, and development cooperation. The discourse polarizes into an either–or, rather than the usual both–and. In the US under President Donald Trump, the Department of War meanwhile barred independent journalists from the Pentagon, replacing them with friendly influencers. Worldwide, press freedom is declining. In China alone, 120 journalists are in prison this year. In Gaza, more than 270 Palestinian journalists have been killed under Israeli fire.

In this fragmented world, the independent quality press faces a major challenge, according to Maarten Rabaey. This evolution was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely disrupted global trade and reinforced the tunnel vision of ‘strongmen’ such as Putin and Trump, who also sidelined scientific expertise.

Maarten Rabaey studied communication management and international politics. He works as a journalist for De Morgen, where he focuses on geopolitics, defence, security and humanitarian crises.

9:00 pm | Q & A

9:30 pm | End

U-turn: 5 years later

This is the fourth lecture in the series U-turn: 5 years later, in which we explore the lasting impact of the COVID period.

When COVID-19 broke out in 2020, our society came to a standstill. Suddenly, there was space to imagine a new way of living together, with greater attention to humanity, solidarity and social justice.

Five years have passed. What is left of those noble intentions?

Discover the other lectures in the series:

Listen to the podcast Solidariteit Spreekt!

In the first season of our podcast Solidariteit Spreekt, we build up towards the lecture series U‑turn: 5 years later.

Journalist Linda De Win, together with experts, examined developments in solidarity, sustainability, and future thinking through the lens of the COVID period.

Discover the podcast series Solidariteit Spreekt!