Agenda

1. SHIFTING ALLIANCES AND THE NEW GEOMETRY OF POWER

As the global order enters a new phase of strategic unpredictability, the traditional security alliances and geopolitical fault lines are undergoing unprecedented change. With the emergence of multipolarity, states are recalibrating their allegiances based on interest-driven pragmatism rather than ideology. This agenda explores how powers, both major and middle, are forging new alignments, navigating between blocs, and redefining the architecture of influence in regions like the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, and the Global South. It raises critical questions about sovereignty, non-alignment, and the relevance of legacy institutions.

2. CRISIS MULTIPLIED: WAR, FRAGILITY, AND THE END OF GLOBAL STABILITY? 

From Gaza and Ukraine to the Sahel, Myanmar, and Sudan, the post-pandemic world is marked by overlapping crises that defy resolution through conventional diplomacy. This agenda delves into how war, political breakdown, and institutional fragility are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a broader unraveling of the global order. It assesses the failures of multilateralism, the erosion of humanitarian norms, and the role of rising powers in responding to, or capitalizing on, instability. What happens when the world loses its crisis management mechanisms?

3. AI, DISINFORMATION, AND THE WEAPONIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

In 2025, information is not just power, it is a weapon. From deepfakes influencing elections to AI-generated propaganda reshaping conflicts, the digital information sphere has become a battleground for rival states, ideologies, and non-state actors. This agenda examines the convergence of artificial intelligence, surveillance, and strategic disinformation, and its implications for democracy, diplomacy, and governance. It also interrogates global efforts to regulate these technologies and asks whether freedom of expression can survive algorithmic warfare.

4. ECONOMIC REALIGNMENTS IN AN ERA OF SANCTIONS, DEBT., AND DE-RISKING 

The global economic landscape is being redrawn as trade wars intensify, supply chains fragment, and countries turn inward in the name of security. This agenda explores the impact of Western sanctions regimes, China’s Belt and Road recalibration, and the de-risking strategies of global corporations. It assesses how countries in the Bay of Bengal and beyond are responding to inflation, debt distress, and the need for sustainable growth. It also investigates the growing appeal of South–South trade and regional financial alternatives in an age of uncertainty.

5. CLIMATE, BORDERS, AND SECURITY IN A WARMING BAY 

In the Bay of Bengal and across the world, climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is an accelerating driver of conflict, displacement, and geopolitical tension. This agenda investigates how rising seas, shifting coastlines, and climate-induced migration are reshaping national security calculations. It highlights the urgent need for cooperative frameworks on climate security, maritime governance, and resource diplomacy. As the region becomes more fragile, this conversation asks whether countries can turn vulnerability into a platform for leadership and innovation.