IIEA Talks

In his address to the IIEA, Professor Michael Ignatieff explores the reasons behind the rise of illiberal democracy in Eastern Europe and why universities are among the targets of these illiberal regimes. He notes that the move of the Central European University from Budapest to Vienna marked a low point for free speech and civil society in Hungary and is part of a wider challenge to liberal democracy which appears to be on the ascent throughout the European Union. From his experience as Rector of the Central European University, and as a noted commentator on illiberalism, Michael Ignatieff discusses the role of history in fuelling illiberalism in Eastern Europe and the importance of facing the truth about the past in order to overcome the challenges of today. About the Speaker: Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer, historian and former politician, former Rector of Central European University in Budapest and Vienna, and now professor of history there. He is the author of many books including his latest On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times.

This seminar is part of the REthink Energy lecture series, which is co-organised by the IIEA and ESB. On this occasion, a distinguished panel, will reflect on the outcome of COP26. In this conversation-style seminar, chaired by Alex White SC, chair of the IIEA Energy Group, the speakers examine some of the major developments agreed in the Glasgow Climate Pact and also discuss the significance of the sectoral coalitions formed during COP26, such as the ‘Beyond Coal and Gas Alliance’ and the Global Methane Pledge. The panellists provide a range of perspectives and discuss the impact of COP26 on Ireland’s climate priorities, on the EU’s Green Deal agenda, and on the international community, in particular, on least developed countries. About the Speakers: Professor Morgan Bazilian is the Director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy and Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. Previously, he was Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank. His work has been published in Science, Nature, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Previously Professor Bazilian was a senior diplomat at the United Nations. He has served as the EU’s lead negotiator on technology at previous UN climate negotiations. Professor Bazilian is also a member of Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council. Connie Hedegaard is Chair of the European Commission’s Mission Board on Adaptation to Climate Change, an element of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. She also serves as Chair of the OECD’s Round Table for Sustainable Development and as Chair of Aarhus University. From 2010-2014, Ms Hedegaard was European Commissioner for Climate Action. Previously, she was Minister for Environment and Minister for Climate and Energy, Denmark. Alicia O’Sullivan is a law student and Quercus Scholar for Active Citizenship at University College Cork (UCC). Ms O’Sullivan represented UCC and World YMCA at COP26. Previously, she represented Ireland at the first UN Youth Climate Summit. Ms O’Sullivan has also served as an Ocean Ambassador for Ireland. She is currently the Environmental Officer at UCC Students’ Union.  Dr Sinéad Walsh is the Climate Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Previously, Dr Walsh served as EU Ambassador to South Sudan. Prior to this, she was Irish Ambassador to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Dr Walsh is the co-author of the book ‘Getting to Zero’, which recounts her experience as a diplomat on the frontline of the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

In-conversation with Alex White, Chair of the IIEA’s Energy Group, Alice C. Hill explores and outlines her core arguments made in her latest book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19, in which she argues the global response to COVID-19 can serve as a lesson for the urgency and scale of the response required to avert climate disaster. She also offers her analysis on the outcome of COP26 and shares her views on the Biden Administration’s approach to climate action. About the Speaker: Alice C. Hill is the David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Her work at CFR focuses on the risks, consequences, and responses associated with climate change. She previously served as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council, where she led the development of national policy to build resilience to catastrophic risks, including climate change and biological threats. Prior to this, she served as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security, where she led the formulation of Department's first-ever climate adaptation plan and the development of strategic plans regarding catastrophic biological and chemical threats, including pandemics. She is co-author of Building a Resilient Tomorrow (2019) and author of The Fight for Climate After COVID-19 (2021).

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a joint undertaking by the European Parliament, Commission and Council which aims to open a new space for debate and engagement with citizens from all corners of Europe on the future of the EU and incorporate their views on key economic, environmental and geopolitical issues into EU policymaking and strategy. This webinar explores the role of the European Parliament and of national parliaments like the Oireachtas in shaping Europe’s future, and what it may mean for Ireland and the EU. This event is part of a series co-organised with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Dublin ahead of the European Citizens’ Panel. About the Speakers: Guy Verhofstadt has served as an MEP since 2009, and is a former Belgian Prime Minister and a former president of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats for Europe group (ALDE) in the European Parliament. He is a member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and the Delegation for relations with the United States, and was the chair of the European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group. Deirdre Clune is an MEP representing Ireland South for Fine Gael and currently serves on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), as well as the Delegations for relations with the countries of Central America (DCAM) and to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (DLAT). Before joining the European Parliament, she served as Lord Mayor of Cork, T.D. for Cork South-Central and a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel. Senator Alice-Mary Higgins was elected as an Independent on the NUI panel in 2016 to Seanad Éireann, and re-elected in 2020, where she leads the Civil Engagement Group, and is a member of the Committees on Environment and Climate Action, Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, and on Disability Matters. Before her election to the Seanad, she was policy coordinator at the National Women’s Council of Ireland, a member of the Executive of the European Women’s Lobby in Brussels, and has worked for NGOs including the Older and Bolder alliance, Trócaire and Comhlámh on homecare, climate change, peace-building and anti-racism. Jane Suiter is a Professor in the School of Communications at Dublin City University (DCU), Director fo the DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society, and is an expert on the information environment in the public sphere, scaling up deliberation and tackling disinformation. She is the senior Research Fellow on the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality, a founding member of We the Citizens, Ireland’s first deliberative experiment and a member of the Stewarding Group on the Scottish Citizens’ Assembly and of the OECD's FutureDemocracy network. Professor Suiter was named the Irish Research Council's Researcher of the Year in 2020.

In his address to the IIEA, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, argues that the pandemic is continuing to have tremendous impacts on employment and at a global level labour market recovery is flat-lining, with enduring damage to many groups and sectors. He argues that comprehensive global responses are needed to address the challenges we face. In his address, Mr Ryder shares his perspective on the future of work and discusses how the world can develop an approach that puts workers at the heart of our economic policy in the years ahead. About the Speaker: Guy Ryder was first elected Director-General of the International Labour Organization in 2012 and started a second term in 2017. His vision is for an ILO that anticipates and responds effectively to 21st century realities, reaching the most vulnerable and remaining true to its social justice mandate. From 2006-10 he was General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, having led the unification of the democratic international trade union movement. He is a graduate of Cambridge University.

In the second interview of the Global Europe podcast series, IIEA Researcher Ross Fitzpatrick talks to Ireland’s new UN Youth Delegates, Diandra Ní Bhuachalla and Treasa Cadogan, on their ambitions and goals for the year ahead.

This event is part of the Environmental Resilience lecture series, co-organised by the IIEA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On this occasion, Clare Miflin argues that sustainable, prosperous and liveable cities of the future will need to be ‘zero waste’. She highlights that waste is a design flaw and that circular material systems can help regenerate cities, communities, and surrounding ecosystems for a healthier and more resilient future. Ms Miflin also outlines the important role that design of the built environment plays in the transition away from a linear economy and towards a circular economy. In her address, Ms Miflin draws on her experience as the development-lead of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines for New York City. These guidelines serve as resource and inspiration for architects, urban designers and developers to help cities across the world reach zero waste goals. About the Speaker: Clare Miflin is an architect and systems thinker with over 20 years of experience designing buildings to the highest environmental standards. She is Certified as a Biomimicry Professional, Architect, Passive House Designer, and LEED professional. Ms Miflin led the development of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines for New York City, through a multidisciplinary collaborative process. These Guidelines serve as resource and inspiration for architects and developers to help cities reach their zero waste goals and are being disseminated and implemented through the Center for Zero Waste Design. Since 2017, Ms Miflin has served as co-chair of the American Institute of Architecture NY ‘Committee on the Environment’.

In his address to the IIEA, Ivan Krastev argues that the COVID-19 pandemic marks the real beginning of the 21st century, abruptly turning Europeans to face the future. The political challenge presented by COVID-19 confronted European leaders with a strategic choice: they can either fight to preserve a globalised world of open borders, or work towards a softer version of de-globalisation. He contends that the great paradox of the pandemic was that it was the EU’s failure rather than its success that demonstrated its relevance and spurred European governments towards deeper integration. About the Speaker: Ivan Krastev is the Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences, IWM Vienna, and a globally renowned author and political scientist. He is a founding board member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Board of Trustees of The International Crisis Group and member of the Board of Directors of GLOBSEC. Ivan Krastev is the author of "Is it Tomorrow, Yet? How the Pandemic Changes Europe" (Allen Lane, 2020); The Light that Failed: A Reckoning (Allen Lane, 2019), co-authored with Stephen Holmes; and “After Europe” (UPenn Press, 2017); among other books.

In his address to the IIEA, Mr Justice Clarke discusses the challenges which are currently posed to the rule of law in the European Union. He outlines his views on the gravity of the threat to the rule of law and examines whether this threat has the potential to be an existential one for the EU. A series of judgements from EU Member State national courts in recent years have questioned the supremacy of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which may have repercussions for judiciaries in other Member States, such as Ireland. Mr Justice Clarke offers a view on what national courts can do to address such challenges. He also addresses potential difficulties stemming from the different ways that membership of the Union and the status of international treaties are addressed in the constitutions of Member States. About the Speaker: Mr. Justice Frank Clarke was Chief Justice of Ireland from July 2017 to October 2021. He was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1973 and to the Inner Bar in 1985. He was appointed a judge of the High Court in 2004 and a judge of the Supreme Court in 2012. He was the ACA-Europe Correspondent for the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2021 and was a Vice-President of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union. He is a former professor at King's Inns, a Judge in Residence at Griffith College Dublin, an Adjunct Professor of Trinity College Dublin and of University College Cork. He is a member of the panel provided for in Article 255 of the TFEU to provide an opinion on the appointment of judges to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

This presentation is part of the 2021 lecture series, entitled Rethink Energy: Countdown to COP26, which is co-organised by the IIEA and ESB. On this occasion, Professor O’Sullivan discusses how the transition away from fossil fuels will remake the geopolitical landscape. In the wake of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, she focuses on how the increasingly urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is changing the priorities of the great powers, creating new divisions between countries, and offering new sources of geopolitical leverage. Professor O’Sullivan examines the global energy transition, particularly over the next decade as countries meet 2030 targets. She concludes by assessing how the actual efforts to move to a net-zero future will disrupt current patterns of international affairs, long before the world has completed this historically unprecedented energy transition. About the Speaker: Meghan O’Sullivan is the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and Director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard Kennedy School. She is also the Chair of the North American Group of the Trilateral Commission. Professor O’Sullivan is an award-winning author, most recently of Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America’s Power. From July 2013 to December 2013, Professor O’Sullivan was the Vice Chair of the All Party Talks in Northern Ireland. She was also special assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2004-2007. She is on the board of Raytheon Technologies and is a member of the International Advisory Group for Linklaters. Professor O’Sullivan was awarded the Defense Department’s highest honor for civilians. She holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and a masters and doctorate from Oxford University.