The Open Conversation 'From Global Convergence to Multipolar Conflict' explores how rising economic inequality is reshaping democracy and global politics in a world undergoing deep and rapid transformation. In this keynote lecture, Branko Milanović (CUNY, New York) will explain how rising inequalities between rich and poor are putting increasing pressure on democratic systems, fueling political polarisation and contributing to the erosion of democratic norms in many societies. Drawing on decades of research into global income distribution, Milanović will show how inequality intersects with broader forces such as geopolitical competition, social fragmentation and competing models of governance, raising urgent questions about the stability and resilience of democratic institutions.
Against a backdrop of shifting power dynamics, marked by geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding and uncertainty about the future of the liberal international order, the lecture addresses a central challenge of our time: how can democratic societies confront rising inequality without undermining political freedoms or sliding toward authoritarianism?
The structure of the lecture is as follows: 1. Introduction (5 min), 2. Keynote (30 min), 3. Discussion (5 min each discussant), 4. Q&A (15 min)
Participants:
Keynote: Branko Milanović, City University of New York
Discussants:
- Dan Banik (University of Oslo)
- Mihail Arandarenko (University of Belgrade)
- Anica Kovačević, PhD student (University of Belgrade & IES)
Moderator: Nemanja Dzuverovic, Full proffesor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade
Students can expect to learn to analyse how rising economic inequality influences democratic institutions, political polarisation, and the erosion of democratic norms. They will also be able to evaluate the interactions between global income inequality, geopolitical competition, and competing models of governance in shaping the stability and resilience of democratic systems in a multipolar world.
