Professor Capie has spoken to us a couple of times in the past and we are delighted to have him back . His research interests focus on conflict and security particularly in the Asia Pacific Region and his NZIIA presentations are always very topical.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney captured world attention earlier in the year when in a speech at Davos he said there had been a “rupture” in the international order and called for middle powers to unite to protect their economic and security interests. He said we have to “[build] what we claim to believe in, rather than waiting for the old order to be restored.” 

But who are the middle powers? What, if anything, do they have in common? And how can weaker states forge an international order when the major powers seem increasingly selfish and belligerent?

In this talk David Capie will ask whether small and middle powers can cooperate to build a new international model of cooperation or whether we are headed to a bleak world of ‘spheres of influence’ where might makes right.