[MUSIC] It is a truism to say that the world has become more interconnected in economic, technological, and social terms. Signs and manifestations of this interconnection have become omnipresent in our lives. The ease of exchange of information in today's digital age is probably the most visible one. The fact that you're following this course from all corners of the world is a powerful example. This Smartphone here is assembled in China, but consists of components produced in about 20 countries including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, France and the list could go on. Also in social terms the world is getting smaller. A recent study by McKenzie shows that the number of International Friendships On Facebook is rapidly increasing. But how does this new global context affect the way we think about global cooperation and the role of International Organizations? We want to use a central metaphor to illustrate this shift Networks, possibly the most defining characteristic of our era. Networks are a source of innovation and growth. But also give rise to vulnerabilities and tensions. The more Network the world becomes in economic and social and technological terms the more vulnerable we are to actions and decision taken outside the realms of states. And the more difficult it becomes to create and maintain order. In theory, this should increase the importance and relevance of International Institutions, set up to facilitate cooperation among states. But in fact, the very nature of these organizations, built as hierarchical institutions in a hierarchical era, makes it very hard for them to be effective in this new context of networks. In this module, we will explore how the effectiveness of traditional International Organizations is constrained and discuss new solutions that tap into the innovative and self-organizing potential of networks. >> The growing complexity of International Cooperation occupies scholars and practitioners for some time now. In 1977, Bob Keohane and Joe Nye coined the term complex interdependence. The create the term to describe the increasing importance of transnational contacts for International Politics. The famous book, Power and Interdependence, was written under the impression of deepening economic conditions. But, also the rise of mult-national corporations and an economic boom which began out of the second world war and only came to halt in the mid 1970's. When two decades later, the collapse of the Soviet Union led in the 1990s to a new era of growth and expansion, complex interdependence became commonplace, and increasingly described by the catch phrase of globalization. Globalization, came to describe an even deeper kind of interconnection. One that pushed the world from connected, yet separate societies, to the reorganization of social life, on a transnational basis. The transformations of the 1990s were perceived as so deep, that many expected the world to move towards a more liberal, democratic consensus that globalization was in fact irreversible. Francis Fukuyama, the Chicago professor famously predicted the end of history. Well, but soon, 9/11, the rise of China as a non-democratic super power and the recent financial crisis of course make clear, history is alive and kicking. Globalization is a reality, yes, but it's path and direction are not predetermined. In the following sections, you will explore the shifting nature of the International System by focusing on the tensions between hierarchies on the one hand and networks on the other. Of this section, laying out conceptual foundations, we will explore three specific global challenges that illustrate these characteristics. Trade, climate change, and Internet governance. All three are introduced by practitioners from the World Economic Forum, an International Organization which aims to improve the state of the world for public private cooperation. All three policy areas, although unique in their own right, service practical illustrations of the principals we introduce in the next section, and we will conclude our module with a discussion of recent geopolitical developments and the possible impact on International corporation
