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Christmas Reads & Webinars 2021

23 Dec 2021 - 16:31

This year, our experts have carried out state-of-the-art research and shared their expertise in lots of webinars. Take your pick of our most popular publications and webinars of 2021.

We wish you Happy Holidays!

Top 5 publications 2021

Check out our most popular publications based on website clicks. 

1. New Map of the Belt and Road Initiative

- March 2021
The Belt and Road Research Platform has developed a new map to display the Belt and Road Initiative in relation to China’s international trade. Although there are already plenty of maps which attempt to display the Belt and Road Initiative, they believe that there was a need for a novel approach: integrating the BRI into China’s international trade patterns.

Want to read more? See article.

2. ‘Designed in Ethiopia’ and ‘Made in China’: Sino-Ethiopian technology collaboration in South-South relations

- February 2021
Chinese involvement in Ethiopia is significant, not only for its implications for Ethiopia as a major regional player, but also for the new approaches to South-South cooperation that China is showcasing in this regional diplomatic centre. This policy brief provides an examination of China’s rise in relation to its African partners. It takes into account broader geopolitical concerns, but homes in on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its means of expanding into Africa.

Want to read more? See policy brief.

3. China’s Soft Power in Europe: Falling on Hard Times

-April 2021
Based on separate analyses of 17 countries and EU institutions, this report concludes that Chinese soft power in Europe – defined as the ability to influence preferences through attraction or persuasion – has fallen on hard times.

Want to read more? See report.

4. Henchman, Rebel, Democrat, Terrorist: The YPG/PYD during the Syrian conflict

- April 2021
What was the role of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the associated Democratic Union Party (PYD) during the Syrian civil war? The purpose of this research is to obtain a better understanding of the nature, objectives and methods of the YPG/ PYD as a combined paramilitary and rebel force that is involved in a quasi-statebuilding project during an internationalised civil war.

Want to read more? See online report.

5. The EU’s Strategic Compass for security and defence: Squaring ambition with reality

- May 2021
The European Union is developing a Strategic Compass for security and defence, to be ready by March 2022. The Strategic Compass offers the opportunity to close the gap between ‘too much rhetoric’ and ‘too little action’ that have characterised the EU’s security and defence efforts so far. This report tries to answer two questions: (1) what should the EU be able to do, and (2) what is needed to get there?

Want to read more? See report.

Check out all our publications here.
 

Top 5 Webinars 2021

Check out our most popular webinars based on YouTube views. 

1. Conversation with Zhang Weiwei | State of the Union Conference 2021

- September 2021
Because the Chinese narrative is the challenging narrative at the moment, and China is a strong narrator, Clingendael invited Professor Zhang Weiwei (Director of the China Institute of Fudan University) to inform us more about the key elements of the Chinese narrative and its vision of Europe’s role in the world. According to Professor Zhang, there is a huge demand for a better understanding of China; of its successes, its challenges, its future and its global impact.

Want to see more? Watch conversation.


2. Digital Dialogue: Serbia on a wobbly road to EU Membership

- March 2021
Confronted with the COVID-19 crisis, Serbia in 2020 faced a difficult task in its EU accession negotiations. How could the process regain momentum in 2021? What are next steps in the EU-Serbia relationship? Can the EU and Serbia move closer together? Or are they destined to remain neighbours at arms-length?

Want to see more? Watch digital dialogue.


3. NL Kiest - Het Grote Clingendael Buitenlanddebat

- Maart 2021
Als het gaat om de veiligheid van Nederland en Europa maken Nederlanders zich de meeste zorgen over migratie en de opkomst van China. Dit blijkt uit recent opinieonderzoek van Instituut Clingendael onder ruim 9.200 Nederlanders. Hoe willen de verschillende politieke partijen tegemoet komen aan deze zorgen? En hoe moet het buitenlands- en veiligheidsbeleid van Nederland eruit gaan zien?

Meer zien? Bekijk debat.


4. Webinar: Adapt to defend. The security dimension of climate change

- March 2021
The security dimension of climate change is increasingly recognised by the Defence sector, and Dutch and British voices have been leading internationally in raising awareness on this issue. How could the military contribute more to reducing security risks related to climate change? When a post-COVID-19 world emerges, the military needs to be prepared to confront this challenge head-on. 

Want to see more? Watch webinar.


5. Webinar: Belarus’ uncertain path ahead

- January 2021
2021 was to be a crucial year for Belarus, which has been caught in a protracted political crisis since August 2020. What was the state of play after five months of protests and repression and what was expected in the months ahead? And what can the EU and individual member states such as Poland, Lithuania and the Netherlands do to promote a democratic future for Belarus?

Want to see more? Watch webinar.

Check out all our video's here.

And don't forget to explore the Clingendael Spectator, our magazine for International Relations.