[Event Report] 2nd Keio Open Forum "The Transformation of the Liberal International Order: Evolution and Limitation"

On December 5, 2023, Keio Center for Strategy (KCS) hosted the 2nd Keio Open Forum titled "The Transformation of the Liberal International Order: Evolutions and Limitations."

The forum was organized to mark the publication of the open-access volume The Transformation of the Liberal International Order: Evolutions and Limitations (Springer, 2023). In addition to the book's editor, Professor Yuichi Hosoya, Director of KCS, the forum featured Hans Kundnani (Royal Institute of International Affairs), Professor Kazuto Suzuki (Director of the Institute of Geoeconomics and Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo), and Hitoshi Suzuki (Visiting Fellow at the Asia Pacific Initiative (API) and Staff Director of the CPTPP Project).

The discussion explored the changing nature of the liberal international order, focusing on recent challenges such as the erosion of the democratic and liberal international order and the growing influence of authoritarian regimes.

Panelists exchanged views on a wide range of issues, from the very definition of "liberal" to the complexity of the international order. The discussion highlighted a shared recognition among the speakers of the profound challenges facing the liberal international order and the significance of its ongoing transformation.