28 April, 2016   

Chamber of Deputies of Italy

 

Altough part of the series “Rome Dialogue”, this event was a little extraordinary. Held in the stunning Palazzo San Macuto (Chamber of Deputies) in Rome, and planned in partenrship with the Rome-based Istituto Alti Studi di Geopolitica e Scienze Ausiliarie, the event gathred more than 100 attendees and an outstanding group of scholars, including:

 

Prof. Anthony H. Cordesman - Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

 

Prof. Nikolay Kozhanov -Non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center and a visiting lecturer at the European University in St.Petersburg

 

Dr. Michal Meidan – Director of China Matters and Associate Fellow of the Asia programme at Chatham House

 

Dr. Andrea Gilli – Post-doc Researcher at the Metropolitan University of Prague

 

The discussion centred on a variety of topics directly or indirectly related to the international tremors caused by turmoils in the Middle East. The aim was to understand and discuss the strategies deployed by the world’s major powers such as the US, China, Russia, and many in Europe, seeking clarity for what is at stake, levels of commitment and emerging and disintegrating alliances. The event kicked off with a keynote speech by Prof.

Cordesman that walked the audience through its latest work analyzing through data, stats and detailed maps, sources of conflicts and instability in the region. After a lively Q&A with prof. Cordesman on the US strategy in the region under the Obama administration and forward, the second session featured perspectives from China (Meidan), Russia (Kozhanov) and on how global strategies have changed in the era of technology (Gilli).

In all, Rome Dialogue IV generated a powerful debate on geopolitical shifts in the region and impacts on ongoing conflicts in an atmosphere that encouraged an enriching exchange between participants coming from many different sectors, including MNCs, political organizations, academia, International Organizations, civil society, the diplomatic community.