Misum Forum 2025
Geopolitical power shifts: The new challenge for progress towards global sustainability
2025 is turning out to be a year of substantial turmoil — in markets, in politics, and in international relations. Companies, governments, academia and organizations around the world are scrambling to adapt. Initiatives focused on global sustainability — concern for the environment, social progress and inclusive institutions — have also come under pressure. The Misum Forum 2025 will convene to discuss what the lasting impacts of these shifts might be for global sustainability goals, and what organizations are doing and planning now in a complex environment. Some questions we will examine:
- How should we understand the political economy of the current moment?
- What will rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty imply for social progress?
- What is the human cost of sharp reductions in foreign aid in many rich countries?
- How have the complex shifts in policy and business environments affected the corporate social responsibility of large firms?
Our speakers are among the leading global experts who can help us make sense of these tumultuous times.
Misum Forum 2025 keynote speaker:
, School Professor of Economics and Political Science and W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics at London School of Economics, is among the world’s leading scholars of political economy. His research has provided frameworks for understanding political incentives, the development of state capacity, economic conflict, and threats to democratic practices, and the politics of green transition. He has published widely on empirical cases studying these topics the United States, India, Africa and Sweden. He has served as the President of the Econometric Society and President of the Royal Economic Society in the UK.
Other academic speakers:
, Professor of Economics and Finance, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Prof. Dean Karlan’s research focuses on poverty using experimental methods and behavioral economics. His work spans over 20 countries and covers topics such as income generation for the poor, credit and savings for low-income households, smallholder agriculture, and entrepreneurship. He was also the Chief Economist of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2022-2025. Prof. Karlan will help us understand the possible wider impacts we will see of the sudden and drastic reductions in aid budgets around the world — and what progress might still be possible in a world with sharply reduced foreign aid.
, Professor of Sustainability and Strategy at the Ivey Business School. Prof. Tima Bansal’s research examines how businesses can align profitability with environmental and social responsibility. Prof. Bansal will reflect on how the geopolitical uncertainty reshapes organizational time horizons, decision-making priorities, and sustainability commitments.