An expert panel discussion and Q&A co-hosted by the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and the University of Auckland’s Global Studies Programme.

Amid a widespread global democratic recession, authoritarianism is increasing across the world. The world’s most powerful countries are amongst those constraining human rights, the rule of law and democratic practices, including the United States, India, China and Russia. Such behaviour is making these tendencies more prevalent across the world, which has consequences for all countries, including democracies such as New Zealand.

Join us for an expert panel discussion on the global rise of autocracies, its effects on New Zealand and how citizens and societies can respond. 

Attendance is free. Please register in advance. 

About the speakers:

Associate Professor Chris Ogden, University of Auckland

Chris is Programme Director and Associate Professor in Global Studies at the University of Auckland in June 2024. Chris' research focuses upon the interplay between identity, culture, security and domestic politics in India, China, South Asia, East Asia and the Indo-Pacific. This expert knowledge contributes to the transdisciplinary analysis of a range of contemporary global issues, including: shifting world orders; global authoritarianism; the Asian Century; great power politics; Hindu nationalism; and the international rise of India and China. He is currently developing ideas concerning the impact of AI upon global democracy, a political history of great powers over the last 300 years, and tracing modern India’s authoritarian descent.

Associate Professor Maria Armoudian, University of Auckland

Maria Armoudian is an associate professor in politics/international relations, Director of the University of Auckland Sustainability Hub, co-director of Nga Ara Whetu, Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, the founding host/producer of the radio program, The Scholars' Circle, and the author of three acclaimed books, Lawyers Beyond Borders Advancing International Human Rights through Local Laws and Courts; Kill the Messenger: The Media’s Role in the Fate of the World; and Reporting from the Danger Zone: Frontline Journalists, Their Jobs and an Increasingly Perilous Future. She has published widely on human rights, environmental politics, communication, and good governance.

Associate Professor Timothy Kuhner, University of Auckland

Timothy Kuhner is known for his critical approach to the law of democracy. In 2021, he was awarded a 3-year grant from the Marsden Fund, Royal Society Te Apārangi to research the political entrenchment of private wealth and the most promising avenues for strengthening democracy. His teaching and research focus on anti-corruption law, election law, democratic theory, comparative constitutional law, and torts. Kuhner is also the co-editor of Democracy by the People a volume on campaign finance reform featuring a number of the world’s leading experts on democratic integrity. Kuhner's many articles, essays, and chapters in edited volumes explore the relationship between economic inequality, political inequality, and the law of democracy.

Professor Jennifer Curtin, University of Auckland

Jennifer Curtin is Professor of Politics and Public Policy in the School of Social Sciences and Director of the Public Policy Institute in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland. Her research and publications focus on Australian and New Zealand politics and policy, gender, policy analysis and political leadership, and the politics of sport.