Seminar Series on Polity, Society and the World Brings Prof. Craig Murphy to Campus
BY EMİRHAN KAYA (IR/III)
On December 8, as a part of the Bilkent University Seminar Series on Polity, Society and the World, Prof. Craig N. Murphy gave a presentation entitled "With So Many Global Problems, Why So Little Global Governance?" Prof. Murphy, who is M. Margaret Ball Professor of International Relations at Wellesley College, and Professor of Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts, based his talk on his own research on global governance.
He began by classifying global problems into three categories --environmental problems, the consequences of the unregulated financial system and global inequalities -- and then proceeded to analyze the existing institutional gaps and the role of great powers in the failure to establish global governance. He pointed out that historically, the growth of market-making institutions has come about easily, whereas there has been a failure to create market-taming institutions, and concluded that even the explosive expansion of voluntary regulatory standards may not be sufficient to tame the new global economy.
Highlighting the importance of the will of great powers, Prof. Murphy focused on the issue of leadership, the extension of the UN system's power and the way in which the US has broken ranks with the world on certain issues. He stated that the victors in the competition for global power lock in political globalization to socialize and control former and potential adversaries. He also stressed the significance of the social changes that have been caused by the new global economic structure.
Following his incisive presentation, Prof. Murphy took questions from the large audience of academics and students present. Finally, Assistant Prof. Tore Fougner, who moderated the discussion, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Murphy and the participants on behalf of the Bilkent community.