The Future of World Order
October 8, 2025
On October 8, 2025, the Center for European Policy Analysis, Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS, Hertie School, and Keio Center for Strategy co-hosted a trilateral dialogue on The Future of World Order at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center.
The event brought together distinguished scholars and practitioners to reflect on the durability of the current global system amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. Dean James Steinberg provided opening remarks, and Professor Francis J. Gavin chaired the discussion.
Panelists included Professor Marina Henke (SAIS and the Hertie School in Berlin), Professor Yuichi Hosoya (Keio University, Tokyo), Christopher Walker (Vice President for Studies and Analysis at the Center for European Policy Analysis), and General Daniel Petrescu (former Chief of Defense, Romania).
The conversation opened with a reflection on the institutions and norms that have underpinned international stability since 1945 – many of which, panelists agreed, are under increasing strain.
The panelists then shared their analysis of where the postwar order stands today and what challenges threaten the stability of this order from the perspectives of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. They discussed shifts in the strategic focus of democracies amid growing feelings of fear and unfairness, and how those feelings have been heightened by unforeseen consequences of the digital age.
In closing, Prof. Gavin emphasized that today’s challenges demand more than economic solutions. Instead, they require a rethinking of global institutions, values, and purpose in a rapidly changing world.