Session: Plenary Session II
Date/Time: April 26, 2016 / 14:45-16:15

Moderator:
David Sanger, The New York Times

Speakers:
Lee Chung Min, Yonsei University
Douglas Paal, Carnegie Endowment for Int’l Peace
Gerhard Sabathil, Delegation of the European Union to the ROK
Zhang Tuosheng, China Foundation for Int’l Strategic Studies

Panel Description
Low economic growth rates, new forms of insecurity, and demographic upheaval characterize the world’s “New Normal” era. In our multi-polar world, the responsibility to deal with these issues increasingly rests with regional institutions and governments. Yet, given trends of increasing globalization and interconnectedness, problems affecting one part of the world can still dramatically affect other parts. As individual countries grapple with endemic challenges, the opportunities for both regional cooperation and global instability increase. Will the “New Normal” witness a shift away from globalization and towards regionalism? How will regional trade policies like the TPP affect worldwide economic growth in the New Normal? Are there region-specific security issues that will have global repercussions? Are humanitarian and social issues global by its very nature? How will regional institutions manage the migration and movement of refugees across state borders?