Report written by Dhanasree Jayaram, Thaís Lemos Ribeiro and Vineeth Daneil Vinoy
A two-hour webinar on “Global International Relations and Earth System Governance: A South-South Initiative” was co-organized on September 15, 2025, by the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations (DGIR), Manipal Institute of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (MISHA), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India; the University of Brasília (UnB), Brazil; the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil; the Earth System Governance (ESG) Project; and the UNESCO Chair for the Promotion of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. The webinar aimed to bring together Brazilian and Indian scholars and students of international relations working on global governance and earth system governance, foster networking opportunities, and provide a platform for exchanging diverse perspectives. It formed part of the ESG’s South-South Initiative (SSI).
The event began with a panel discussion on Global International Relations (IR), featuring Dr. K. P. Vijayalakshmi (Professor & Head, DGIR, MISHA, MAHE) and Dr. Cristina Yumie Aoki Inoue (SSI, ESG & Associate Professor, Radboud University, the Netherlands), moderated by Dr. Amrita Jash (Assistant Professor, DGIR, MISHA, MAHE). The panel focused on three main questions:
- How do you understand the idea of Global IR, and what unique perspectives does the Global South, especially India and Brazil, bring into Global IR?
- How can South-South cooperation in scholarship – particularly between India and Brazil, but also beyond – contribute to strengthening Global IR? and
- What role do both countries play in shaping multilateralism (such as BRICS, the G20 and UN reform), and how does this reflect Global IR perspectives?
The panel discussion explored Global IR as a movement that transcends traditional Western theories, with roots in the experiences and concerns of the Global South. Participants underscored the importance of recognizing sovereignty, avoiding Western cultural exceptionalism, and challenging the assumption that Western models are universal. They highlighted the need for interactive learning, multilateralism, strategic pragmatism and ethical considerations, drawing attention to critical principles such as Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in global climate governance.
The discussion emphasized the contributions of Indian scholars and South-South partnerships – such as the long-standing Brazil-India relationship – as examples of mutually beneficial cooperation. Global IR was presented not merely as an academic pursuit but as a necessary practice for just and inclusive global governance.
Speakers reflected on the long-standing goal of fostering global collaboration and amplifying diverse voices in international studies. They examined the challenges of local theory production arising from state-centred ontologies, resource constraints and proximity to foreign policy agendas, which together result in heavy dependence on imported theories. The importance of South-South collaboration was repeatedly stressed, especially for addressing planetary crises, promoting transformative governance and justice, and enriching Global IR scholarship through knowledge co-production. Participants also called for transdisciplinary dialogue across the social sciences, natural sciences and critical studies to build a truly global and pluralistic field. References were made to ongoing initiatives such as the TRIP (Theory Research in International Politics) project and the One World: Many Theories approach. Despite calls for Global IR, there remain few non-Western theories and many current trends fail to travel across contexts.
Key challenges identified included ontological limitations, state-centric frameworks, and a lack of incentives for theoretical innovation in the Global South. The discussion concluded with a call for theoretical pluralism and active enrichment of the field, stressing that Global IR must push its boundaries, expand inclusivity and move beyond simply creating safe spaces for diversity.
Screenshot of the participants in the events
The discussion was followed by a presentation from Dr. Thaís Lemos Ribeiro (UnB & SSI, ESG), who gave an overview of the ESG Network. She outlined the ESG 2018-2028 Research Plan, which integrates insights from the past decade and provides a framework for future research. She introduced the South-South Initiative, launched in 2023, which focuses on research relevant to Global South contexts through surveys, special journal issues, and conference sessions. She also highlighted the 18 research centers of the ESG Network and outlined publication opportunities, including the Earth System Governance journal, the Cambridge Elements series, the MIT series, and the Cambridge book series. She concluded by encouraging students to actively engage with the ESG Network, participate in conferences and workshops, and contribute as research assistants or research fellows.
Following the familiarization with the ESG Network, participants engaged in a Mentimeter interaction using word clouds to capture their reflections on Global IR and South-South cooperation. They responded to three guiding questions:
- What are the main topics that we relate to when researching global politics?
- What are the main challenges to researching Global IR – considering aspects such as theory, methodology, research ethics, funding, and publishing, among others? and
- How can we develop and strengthen a network of researchers from the Global South?
Each of the questions was given 15 minutes for discussion and debate.
The session began with an introductory exercise in which the 70 participants indicated whether they were from India or Brazil. The responses showed that most participants were from India, in line with expectations based on registration data. Participants were then asked to share keywords representing their main research topics, which were compiled into a word cloud. Prominent themes included climate change, security, public policy, energy, Global South movements, Latin America, migration, culture, diplomacy, and environmental governance.
The discussion then shifted to identifying the main topics associated with global politics. A second word cloud revealed a stronger focus on traditional subjects such as security, sovereignty, foreign policy, and cooperation. Participants noted that this contrast illustrates how academic debates often default to classical IR concerns. They highlighted that this tendency stems from state-centered ontologies, where even global governance issues are frequently approached through the lens of nation-states rather than more holistic perspectives.
The third question addressed the main challenges in researching Global IR. Participants highlighted structural issues such as limited funding, language barriers, and difficulties publishing in international journals, as well as epistemological concerns including realist-centrism, biased sources, lack of data, and Global North dominance. It was noted that Global South researchers face systemic disadvantages, as their work is often less visible and struggle to gain recognition in mainstream platforms. The perception that research with Western authorship is more easily accepted in prestigious journals was emphasized, underscoring inequalities in knowledge production and dissemination.
The session concluded with reflections on developing and strengthening a network of researchers from the Global South. Participants identified common ground, including shared research topics, approaches, and challenges, and emphasized the importance of dialogue and networking in addressing these issues.
Dr. Verônica Korber Gonçalves (UFRGS & SSI, ESG) and Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram (MAHE & SSI, ESG) noted that this was only the first step, with plans for further activities on global scholarship in the coming months. Participants were encouraged to remain engaged through the South-South Initiative and the ESG Network, particularly in activities for early-career researchers.
The organizers (Dr Dhanasree and Dr Veronica) highlighted the success of fostering collaboration across different universities and countries, noting the value of building partnerships beyond individual initiatives. Expressions of gratitude were extended to all participants, contributors, and technical organizers. The session closed with an invitation to continue the conversation, strengthen cross-border cooperation, and stay connected through the network’s platforms.
