International Conference – “Current Global Developments and the Nordic” 10 & 11 May 2023

Jean Monnet Module

Understanding European Integration

Through the Regional Lens

Centre for European Studies,

School of International Studies,

Jawaharlal Nehru University

Organises

International Conference

on

Current Global Developments and the Nordic

Developments over the last two years have been challenging for states across the globe. The Covid-19 pandemic affected one and all, every country struggled to cope and devise policies that would limit its spread and deadly impact. The lockdown, and the ban on travel affected life and livelihoods. Developing and administering vaccines to immunize the population posed a daunting task. The pandemic years had its economic fallout, and states had to prioritize pandemic recovery. And just as the world started to limp back to normalcy, new developments in the international stage posed its own set of challenges. The Russia- Ukrainian crisis has blown up into a full-scale war the effect of which are being felt much beyond Europe. Europe’s reading of the current crisis as a challenge to ‘their way of life’ has resulted in a unified show of strength and response in condemning Russia and extending support to Ukraine and Ukrainians. Ukrainian women and children fleeing the war and seeking refuge in neighbouring CEE countries where were warmly welcomed and European citizens extended support unhesitatingly. Many countries recalibrated their policies to help Ukraine mount and sustain an offensive against Russia. The crisis had an impact on how EU and Europe perceived their security. Severe sanctions were slapped to strike Russia’s ability to sustain its’ offensive. But it also exposed EU and Europe’s vulnerability vis-à-vis their dependence on Russian oil and gas. The looming energy crisis would also impact Europe’ climate commitments.

Apart from the challenges that the immediate crisis posed, Europe and the European Union was also dealing with the impact of the rise of an assertive China on the established rules-based international order. This is reflected in EU and its member states growing interest in the Indo-Pacific and the EU articulating its own position on the region and its connectivity strategy countering China’s BRI.

It is in this backdrop of such developments that the Centre for European Studies is holding two-day international conference on the Nordic. The Centre has been regularly looking at this region known for welfare model, providing quality education and healthcare, advanced technology, gender parity, social trust, and happiness. However, the Nordic have over the last few years not been immune to the rise of rightwing populism in Europe. Immigration, integration, refugees are as much an agenda in the Nordic as in other European countries. For instance, Sweden which was the first country in the world to adopt a feminist foreign policy in 2014 has given up on it post 2022 elections. Following the 2022 elections Sweden Democrats emerged as an important player and though not in government will play a deciding role in policies in the coming years. Sweden and Finland’s debate on NATO membership changed after February this year and both have applied for NATO membership. All these developments merit attention.

The conference (hybrid mode) will focus on both the internal and external developments in the Nordic countries. Papers are invited along the following themes, though not limited to them.

1. Political Developments
2. Covid-19 and the Nordic Response
3. Climate Change Commitments
4. Energy Security
5. Social Developments
6. Foreign Policy
7. Nordic-India Relations

Contributors are requested to send their abstracts not exceeding 300 words to ceusconference2021@gmail.com by January10^th, 2023.

Prof. Bhaswati Sarkar

Convener

Event Report 

The international conference on “Current Global Developments and the Nordics” was organized by the Jean Monnet Module on “Understanding European Integration Through the Regional Lens” and the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) along with the Nordic Centre in India on 10 & 11 May 2023.

The Conference was part of the Centre for European Studies’ regular focus on the region and The Conference organised in hybrid mode ensured participation of renowned academics from the region and focused on both the achievements and the challenges that the Nordic countries have faced in the last few years, including like the rest of the world the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Inaugural session of the Conference was Chaired by Prof Srikanth Kondapalli, Dean, School of International Studies, JNU who welcomed the participants and presented his initial remarks on the theme of the conference. This was followed by the introduction to the Conference by Prof Bhaswati Sarkar, Jean Monnet Chair and Chairperson at the Centre for European Studies. Prof Sarkar highlighted that the need to look at the Nordic countries results as much from their continued strong performances as reflected in the various parameters that measure political, economic and social developments as from the need to study how these countries are responding to challenges of demographic decline, immigration, increasing popularity of right-wing parties. The Russian war on Ukraine has also had inescapable impact on foreign policy of Sweden and Finland with both applying for the NATO membership. Besides this region has now become important in India’s foreign policy calculus as the second Nordic Summit held in 2022 clearly shows. Prof Mikko Ruohonen, Professor, Tampere University and Chairperson, Nordic Centre in India also addressed the Conference, where he joined Prof Sarkar in highlighting the several aspects of Nordics such as their welfare model, quality education, healthcare, technology, gender parity, social trust and environment. At the inaugural H.E. Guðni Bragason, Ambassador of Iceland to India, H.E. Hans Jacob Frydenlund, Ambassador of Norway to India, Mr. Martin Strandgaard, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Denmark, New Delhi, Mr. Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, New Delhi, Dr Tito Gronow, Chargés d’ Affairs a .i., Embassy of Finland, New Delhi  in their  Special Remarks emphasized the socio-cultural links that each of the five countries share as well as their relations of cooperation with India. Growing Nordic-India engagement was also highlighted by Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary, Central Europe Division, Ministry of External Affairs, GoI. H.E. Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Ambassador to EU, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nepal, with his rich experience as a diplomat in his keynote address talked of how the India-Nordics relations have evolved over the years and how this cooperation can be further strengthened in such areas as education and healthcare, where India can both learn from the Nordic countries as well as could be a rich source of skilled labour to these countries. He expressed that the focus on the region is timely for it is important that we start looking at Europe moving beyond our fixation with the big three. The Inaugural Session, which discussed the key developments in recent years in the Nordic countries and their rich ties with India ended with vote of thanks by Ms. Christabel Royan, Director, Nordic Centre in India, setting the stage for presentations and discussions that followed.  

This was followed by seven working sessions spanning two days covering varied topics such as foreign policy, security, radical-right populism, climate change, energy, impact of Covid-19, Arctic, and India-Nordic cooperation. Researchers and faculty members, both from JNU and Universities in Europe made presentations on these various issues, ably chaired by faculty members from Centre for European Studies and other Centres of the School of International Studies. The presentations were followed by Question-and-Answer and rich discussions. The Conference also received an overwhelming response from the attendees on both days, with around eighty registered participants on both days. 

The Conference concluded with Prof Sarkar and Ms. Royan’s final remarks where they expressed their gratitude to the participants as well as Chairs of different sessions and emphasized the need to carry forward the ideas for further discussions and the efforts to continue organizing such Conferences, where scholars and researchers come together for intellectually stimulating discussions on issues dominating the Nordics and Europe at large. The proceedings of the conference will be put together in a volume.  Lyimee Saikia, Research Scholar, Centre for European Studies, then closed the Conference with vote of thanks.