On May 23, 2025, the Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) organized the 74th lecture of the Fudan-LSE Lecture Series. Professor Tom Pegram from University College London (UCL) delivered a lecture on the theme of Crisis? What Crisis? Crisis as a Perspective onto Global Governance. The session was chaired by Dean Yijia Jing of IGPP.

Professor Pegram is Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London’s Department of Political Science and Director of the UCL Global Governance Institute. His research explores the empirical and theoretical study of global governance, with expertise in the substantive domains of human rights, climate change and global risk. Professor Pegram has published in leading journals including International Organization and European Journal of International Relations.

At the beginning of the lecture, Associate Professor Pegram explained the deeper meaning of the term “crisis” from an etymological perspective. He noted that the word “crisis” originates from the Greek term krisis, meaning “decision” or “turning point.” Drawing on the insights of Immanuel Wallerstein, Associate Professor Pegram emphasized that the concept of crisis is inherently ambiguous and politicized, often employed to serve specific narrative and decision-making purposes. He argued that a crisis is not merely a material event but also a key arena for discursive power struggles, where different framings of “crisis” shape the direction of policy responses.

Subsequently, Associate Professor Pegram introduced the “crisis matrix” analytical framework, which categorizes crises into four types: short-term localized crises, short-term global crises, long-term localized crises, and long-term systemic crises. He further observed that the current global governance system is caught in a state of “stagnation,” with scholars offering two main interpretations of this condition, “intra-systemic crises” and “systemic crises.” He particularly emphasized the importance of moving beyond the limitations of Western-centric perspectives and adopting a more open and humble approach that embraces diverse knowledge traditions.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in a lively discussion. Associate Professor Pegram positively evaluated China’s initiatives in areas like climate action, noting that these practices bring fresh ideas and experiences to global governance. He also emphasized that both in academic research and policy practice, the concept of “crisis” should be used cautiously to avoid overgeneralization.

After the lecture, Professor Jing presented a commemorative gift to Associate Professor Pegram. The event concluded with a group photo of the faculty and students.