Fragmentation, disorder, and the reconstruction of Europe's global role

Abstract

The global order is changing and possibly fragmenting at a time when our most important challenges – climate, energy, pandemic, migration – are reaching global dimensions. Future generations will possibly face these challenges with fewer opportunities for effective global coordination. This is the context within which the Dahrendorf Programme at the University of Oxford has brought together eight leading institutions of higher learning from Asia, Europe, and North America to ask how young people perceive Europe both from within the European Union and from the perspective of other continents. In this panel, we will ask provocative and important questions pertaining to the future relevance of Europe. What is Europe’s contribution to world order, either real or potential? How do other parts of the world think about Europe and how does Europe think about other parts of the world? What is Europe? The answers will provide us with insights on what connects or disconnects us in Europe and the rest of the world and will outline the potential for younger generations to reimagine Europe and to reconstruct Europe’s global role.