On 16 March, Dr Huanyu Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher at the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies (GIES) at Ghent University in Belgium, visited the Academy. Dr Zhao gave the fellows fascinating insights into her research project, ReConnect China, which is funded under Horizon Europe. The project brings together around 100 researchers from 15 institutions in 12 EU countries and provides a comprehensive analysis of EU-China relations.

During the discussion with the Fellows, the relationships between the EU, China and the US were discussed in depth, along with their significance for international organisations and the multilateral order. Particular emphasis was placed on the new geopolitical dynamics arising from organisations such as BRICS. There was a discussion on how global power shifts are altering the international institutional order.