The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), and the Center for the Support and Development of Public Initiatives Creative Diplomacy (PICREADI) welcome you to The Kortunov Global Affairs Debates. The Debates are conducted in the format of a rhetorical competition that deals with foreign policy and international relations. Please make sure to register via myFletcher to participate in the event on Zoom.

The annual Debates are held in memory of Dr. Sergei V. Kortunov, a Russian political scientist and the author of many publications on national security and identity. In 2021, the Debates will take place in the format of discussions on three topics among experts from The Fletcher School, RIAC, and other institutions. In each debate, two sides, each consisting of two speakers, will argue alternative yes/no positions on the question at hand.

The audience will vote yes/no on the question posed within the debate. The voting will take place before and after the discussion. The goal is to understand to what extent the audience changes its attitude toward the presented topic and whether a speaker manages to be persuasive.

Question: Has the COVID-19 pandemic ended the era of accelerated globalization?

Speakers:

Anastasia Likhacheva, Deputy Dean for Research and Associate Professor, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs; Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics	Sergey Utkin, Head of Foreign and Security Policy Department of the Centre for Strategic Research, Head of Department of Strategic Assessment, Centre for Situation Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences
Carsten Kowalczyk, Associate Professor of International Economics, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University	Sieglinde Gstöhl, Director of Studies, EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department, College of Europe