Transformation of International Relations during Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to adapt to a new normality. It has caused significant changes to many aspects of human life, including to International Relations dynamics and practices. The changes are noticeable in the patterns of relations among actors, the structure of the international system, as well as the level of strategic significance certain issues hold. The transformation is inevitable; it seems to be necessary to make the world more adaptive to this new reality, more responsive to the demands of the pandemic, and more able to appropriately face and deal with the consequences and challenges caused by it. This phenomenon has triggered the construction of an array of discourse around these issues, which all need to be properly conceptualized to allow for the development of contemporary studies in International Relations. This edited book attempts to cover it all.

This book is a compilation of papers presented at the 2nd International Postgraduate Student Conference (IPGSC) organized by the Department of International Relations, Universitas Indonesia. The conference, with the theme of “Transformation of International Relations during Covid-19 Pandemic” provided a venue for IR scholars to discuss the changes to the dynamics and practices found in the realm of International Relations during the pandemic. The discussion was divided into three parts: International Security, International Political Economy, and Transnational Society. From these discussions, the book highlights three key points. Firstly, that the pandemic has undeniably created a bigger and more strategic space for the role and contribution of non-state actors. Secondly, it has, at the same time, also caused an increased tendency towards state centrism and imbalanced power relations among states as the traditional actors in IR. Thirdly, it has created a situation which has strengthened the free rider character of the market, manoeuvring between the interests of the people and of the state/national.