The Decline of the West and the Future of World Order

Depok, November 28, 2024 – The Faculty of Social Sciences at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) held its 60th BrownBag Series, featuring a special talk by Distinguished Professor Amitav Acharya. The event focused on his book, "The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West".

Prof. Amitav Acharya is a prominent scholar in international relations, particularly known for his work on global governance and the Global South's role in world politics. He holds the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and is a Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University, Washington DC, USA. 

In his talk, Prof. Acharya explored how the decline of Western dominance could potentially lead to a more inclusive and balanced global civilization. He explained that although challenges like social unrest and the rise of emerging powers like China are reshaping the world, global civilization is strong enough to adapt and thrive. 

"The world order is [always] shared, not a monopoly of certain nations, regions or civilizations. When we talk about the world order, it is all about how the world is organized, and the West has never been the only source of order," Prof. Acharya said. 

To support his argument, he provided the evidence from the past, analyzing the five thousand years of global history, explaining that world order, which he viewed as the political architecture enabling cooperation and peace among nations, has existed long before the rise of the West. He mentioned the ancient Sumer, India, Greece, and Mesoamerica, as well as medieval caliphates and Eurasian empires as the examples. 

“History suggests order will endure even as the West retreats. In fact, the end of Western dominance offers us the opportunity to build a better world, where non-Western nations find more voice, power, and prosperity. Instead of fearing the future, the West should learn from history and cooperate with the rest to forge a more equitable order,” he said. 

Hence, Prof. Acharya argued that the current challenges reshaping global politics—such as social unrest, climate crises, and the rise of emerging powers like China and India—are not harbingers of chaos but opportunities to reimagine governance. He emphasized the importance of including non-Western nations in conversations about global order, asserting that the decline of Western hegemony creates space for regions traditionally marginalized in global politics to assume leadership roles. 

The BrownBag Series, organized regularly by the Faculty of Social Sciences at UIII, exemplifies the university’s commitment to fostering dialogue on pressing global issues. By bringing together distinguished scholars like Prof. Amitav Acharya and providing a space for nuanced discussions, the series demonstrates UIII’s mission to bridge academic rigor with real-world challenges.