On Tuesday, August 9, 2016, the LSE-PKU roundtable discussion event was held in the lecture hall of the Second Gymnasium Building at Peking University (PKU). This event is held annually, and is an opportunity for students of the LSE-PKU Summer School, as well as other students, staff, and members of the public to hear leading professors speak on topics of global importance and engage in intellectual discussion.

This year’s topic was “The Future of Alliances: Challenges of Change in Global Politics in 2016”. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Mayling Birney, an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Development at LSE.

Following Dr. Birney’s introductory remarks, the first speaker was Professor Michael Cox from the department of International Relations at LSE. Professor Cox is also the co-director of LSE IDEAS, a center for the study of diplomacy and strategy, as well as being the academic director of the LSE-PKU Summer School. Professor Cox, who teaches the course “Power Shift: China, the United States and the West in a New Asian Century” for the summer school, talked about the changes that the world is facing, as well as those that it faced during the twentieth century, and the sometimes unpredictable nature of such events. He also took a few minutes to talk about the recent EU Referendum in the United Kingdom.

Next to speak was Dr. Zhang Jian, an associate professor from the School of Government at Peking University, whose research interests include ethnic minority issues in China, political participation, and state/nation building in the developing world. Dr. Zhang teaches a course on Chinese politics and public policy for the LSE-PKU Summer School. He was able to offer a different perspective on some of the issues raised by Professor Cox, as well as talking more specifically about China, giving examples of the way in which China’s foreign policy often reflects its domestic policy.

Dr. Zhang Qingmin, the final speaker, is a professor in the School of International Studies at PKU, with research interests including China’s foreign policy and US foreign policy. At the LSE-PKU Summer School, he is teaching the course “Opening the Black Box: Understanding Chinese Foreign Policy Making”. Dr. Zhang spoke about the importance of diplomacy in developing good international relationships, mentioning the relationship between China and Russia, as well as talking about ideology.

After listening to the three speakers, Dr. Birney invited questions from the floor. The panel was able to respond to a number of students’ questions on topics ranging from UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson to cyber-security. Many people stayed after the formal end of the event to discuss the topics and questions that had been raised, either with the professors or among themselves.

All in all, the event certainly gave the LSE-PKU students and audience some food for thought as they embark upon their respective courses, many of which will look into the challenges discussed in more detail. For all present, it was a fascinating opportunity to hear these distinguished professors offer their different perspectives on the challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century.

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