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SUMMARY:Fragile states and the governance of global catastrophic risk semi
 nar\; Hybrid - Speaker to be confirmed
DTSTART:20250528T130000Z
DTEND:20250528T140000Z
UID:TALK232030@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:113929
DESCRIPTION:Global catastrophic risks—including climate extremes\, pande
 mics\, large-scale conflict\, and unintended consequences of advanced AI
 —pose existential threats to societies and economies worldwide. Effectiv
 e governance of these risks is essential to sustain development progress a
 nd protect future generations.\n\nThis seminar will draw on early findings
  from a comparative survey in fragile states\, employing expert elicitatio
 n to map how key stakeholders perceive catastrophic risks and identify bar
 riers to integrating risk governance into long-term development frameworks
  such as the AU Agenda 2063. Our preliminary results highlight significant
  gaps between awareness of global threats and the institutional capacity t
 o manage them.\n\nWe will then examine how policymakers and other actors i
 n fragile contexts are addressing these challenges and consider the role o
 f multilateral bodies—particularly the G20. \n\nA moderated discussion a
 nd audience Q&A will follow.\n\nPanellists: \n\nDr Constantin Arnscheidt (
 Research Associate\, CSER\, University of Cambridge)\n\nDr. Constantin Arn
 scheidt is a Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential
  Risk at the University of Cambridge\, where he studies the systemic contr
 ibutions to global catastrophic risk (GCR). GCR scholarship has often focu
 sed on the risk posed by individual large hazards\, such as climate change
 \, nuclear war\, pandemics\, and AI. Yet the global risk landscape is incr
 easingly complex and interconnected\, and different drivers of risks and v
 ulnerabilities may interact in complicated ways to create catastrophic out
 comes. How should this inform our assessment of GCR\, and our attempts to 
 mitigate it?\n\nMs Pamla Gopaul (Head\, Africa Policy Bridge Tank\, AUDA-N
 EPAD)\nMs. Pamla Gopaul is the Unit Lead of the Economic Analysis and Fore
 sight and Programme Head of the Africa Policy Bridge Tank at the African U
 nion Development Agency-NEPAD. In this role\, she facilitates bridging the
  knowledge through strategic alignment for effective program implementatio
 n\, and policy advisory to Governance structures and the AU and African Me
 mber Sates. She has a distinguished background\, having served as a Senior
  Policy Officer and Coordinator to the CEO. Her responsibilities included 
 aligning the organization’s strategic plan with program execution. Ms. G
 opaul is also a member of the Sub-committee Lead for the Policy and Public
  Engagement Committee at the Pan-African Scientific Research Council\, Afr
 ican School of Economics (Princeton University\, USA).\n\nDr Jacob Nyokabi
  (Researcher\, CSER\, University of Cambridge)\nJacob works on the capacit
 y of fragile states to respond to global catastrophic risks. He has a back
 ground in international security and development including with the Politi
 cal Affairs Divisions of the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Mali 
 and the Central African Republic as well as a PhD in leadership studies wi
 th reference to security and development from King’s College London.\n\n
 Moderator:\n\nDr Kennedy Mbeva (Research Associate\, CSER\, University of 
 Cambridge)\nKennedy Mbeva (PhD) is a Research Associate at the Centre for 
 the Study of Existential Risk\, at the University of Cambridge. He previou
 sly served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Blavatnik School of
  Government\, University of Oxford. Dr Mbeva’s research examines how ris
 k and uncertainty shape international cooperation and global governance\, 
 focusing on economic\, sustainability\, and demographic issues. In his cur
 rent role\, he studies how to manage the global risks generated by rapid d
 emographic changes\, thus averting societal collapse and existential risks
  to humanity.
LOCATION:Syndics Room\, 17 Mill Lane
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