Time: Friday 20 March 2026, at 13:00 - 15:00
In recent years, international organisations have found themselves at the centre of profound political shifts. The transatlantic alliance is under pressure, NATO’s role is being redefined, and questions about the future of multilateral cooperation are once again high on the agenda.
This workshop brings together three leading scholars to reflect on current developments in international organisations, with a particular focus on NATO, the United States under Donald Trump's second presidency, and historical parallels to the interwar period and the League of Nations.
At a moment when the transatlantic relationship appears increasingly strained, the workshop invites participants to examine the nature and origins of this shift. The more confrontational tone adopted by the United States towards Europe can be interpreted as an attempt to encourage greater European responsibility. Yet to others, the current dynamics resemble something closer to a partnership drifting toward separation.
Does this development represent a break with past traditions, or does it draw on longer-standing currents in international politics? And perhaps most importantly, can a return to earlier patterns of transatlantic cooperation be expected, or are we witnessing the consolidation of a new normal in the international order?
This workshop will create a space for discussion of how current events can be understood within a broader political and historical perspective.
Sten Rynning is a professor and director of the Danish Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS) at the University of Southern Denmark. He is a leading scholar of international security and transatlantic relations, with particular expertise in NATO and alliance politics. At this workshop, he will address NATO’s current challenges and the alliance’s adaptation to shifting geopolitical realities.
Derek Beach is a professor at the department of Political Science at Aarhus University and an associate fellow at Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS). He is an expert in European integration and transatlantic relations. At this workshop, he will focus on the United States under Trump’s second presidency, exploring the origins and consequences of a more confrontational American approach toward Europe and the transatlantic alliance.
Karen Gram Skjoldager is a professor of the School of Culture and Society at Aarhus University She is a historian specialising in international organisations and diplomatic history, with a particular focus on the interwar period. At this workshop, she will provide a historical perspective on current developments and explore the League of Nations and the broader development of international cooperation in the twentieth century.
Participation in the workshop is free of charge, but participants will need to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.
Registration link can be found here
The workshop is organized by Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University (AIAS) in collebaration with Danish Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Southern Denmark (DIAS).
