Professor Chih-yu Shih from Tongji University in Shanghai visited the AIA and discussed new perspectives on international relations with the Fellows over coffee and cake. For some time now, scholars from the Global South have been providing an impetus for a critical reflection on the canon of classical theories developed primarily by Western researchers. Implicit premises of the so-called Holy Trinity of theories on international relations (i.e. realism, liberalism, constructivism) go back to the Westphalian sovereign state system in modern Europe. According to Chi-yu, unreflected colonial patterns of thought often continue to have an effect here. “The theory of international relations as we know it is a child of colonial violence. That is why we must end it and replace it,” explained Chi-yu. According to his analysis, the Global South increasingly understands itself in the role of a subject to shape debates rather than being just an object to study. His theses were discussed both openly and controversially by the Fellows. In particular, the question of the extent to which the Global South can be understood as a unified actor was debated. The role of China in this context was also questioned. At the end of the discussion, the clear result was that the classically canonized theories of international relations are increasingly under pressure. New perspectives will enrich thinking about international politics in the coming decades more than in the past. They also offer a great opportunity to better understand the world of the 21st century in all its complexity and variety.