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Event
Global Ambitions Conference

Global Ambition International Conference

While the global COVID19 crisis has shown that the world has crossed the threshold into a new era, politics remain in old familiar patterns and structures. Many countries took the opportunity of the pandemic to further infringe on human rights and confine their citizens to often arbitrary rules. Among the wake of the crisis, protectionism has resurged. But questions of education, digital transformation and globalization require global answers. New moon-shot projects are needed instead of incremental progress.

The Friedrich-Naumann-Foundations “Global Ambitions”-Conference aimed to deliver exactly this mindset to politics. During the pandemic, many things became a part of our everyday life that were unimaginable before. This mindset must now find its way into politics. Over 4 days 16 experts from 9 different countries discussed, how the crisis can be seized as an opportunity. Under the moderation of Dr Melinda Crane, different panels took on the challenge of reimagining digitalization, foreign policy, education and globalization.

We should be proud of delivering digital products that are centered around human rights.

Ann Cathrin Riedel
Ann Cathrin Riedel

They found that in order to shape digitalization for a successful future, we must reimagine it with creativity and an open mind. But the standards, which will shape the digital space in the future, must protect democratic and liberal values. As Ann Cathrin Riedel put it during the opening talk ‘Shaping a New Digital World Order’ “We should be proud of delivering digital products that are centered around human rights. In my opinion, we can use the fact that we care as an advantage when facing China.” With the General Data Protection Regulation, it became apparent what global influence European legislation can have. With the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, there is an opportunity to regulate the digital space based on liberal values that safeguard civil rights and healthy competition. This should prepare the world to face threats from authoritarian regimes like China and Russia. It also is of the utmost importance that we do not cease digital capacities to these countries. Professor Jan Hendrik Passoth declared, that “It is even more important, that organizations like the OECD and the IMF actively support digitalization in developing countries.”

 

It was a wake-up call for many in Europe that our closest ally suddenly is not reliable anymore.

Michael Link MdB
Michael Link

The second day of the congress aimed to reassess Europe’s standing in the global struggle for control.  Throughout the panel discussion it became clear that the participants agreed that the EU Member States need to recognize the necessity of the EU being a strategically autonomous security player. In the face of the power struggle between the US and China, it is important for Europe to defend its own interests, particularly in adjacent regions. Bachar El-Halabi, an expert on the Middle East and Northern Africa analyzed that “certain countries in the region are assuming or want to assume a larger share of responsibility or power […]. This is backfiring and has backfired in Libya, Yemen and elsewhere.” The participants also accredited the responsibility for this new European development to the presidency of Donald Trump. Michael Link, MP and former Minister of State declared it to have been a “wake-up call for many in Europe that our closest ally suddenly is not reliable anymore."

Universities are the most important place for exchanging new ideas, exploring new ideas and freedom of ideas.

Bettina Stark- Watzinger
Bettina Stark-Watzinger

Another key aspect in determining how we manage the future is international education cooperation. As Brexit and Corona have dealt severe blows to many forms of European and international education cooperation, the third panel titled ‘Beyond Brexit and Corona’ discussed numerous challenges for the future of education cooperation. The panelists analyzed, that many opportunities remain unused, and new ideas are needed in order to start new cooperations based on liberal values. Bettina Stark-Watzinger MP emphasized the importance of joint learning and research across international borders.

In order to round out the conference, economists from around the world gathered to discuss how the pandemic can be seen as a window of opportunity to restart globalization. Particularly under the new US president, Joe Biden, the time has come to return to common projects after four years of protectionist “America First” policies. The panelists determined that a new blueprint and a strong signal for a new era of globalization are needed. As Deirdre Nansen McCloskey put it to end the four-day conference “the WTO can only persuade, […], but they have convincing arguments.”

Watch the talks here.