The rise of Emerging Powers, such as China, Brazil, Russia, India and Turkey, is changing the very dynamics and structure of international relations. Through extensive field research and political dialogue projects, Fafo regards our particular knowledge of the national context to be essential for understanding developments, foreign policy priorities, why and how Emerging Powers choose to participate in the international community, their interests and the resulting power dynamics.
Fafo has accumulated knowledge on Emerging Powers through two decades of bottom-up research and policy dialogue projects. As an applied research institute, our primary interest is policy-relevant options for constructive engagement between Norway and Emerging Powers.
We aim to understand the underlying shifts in power and the challenges and opportunities for engagement these shifts create. Through obtaining in-depth knowledge of the developments within and between emerging powers and the rest of the world we seek to better understand the implications of a “new world”. Through studies of social foundations and their institutionalization, we seek to understand how people and institutions relate.
Fafo has a country office in China and has established strong partnerships with key policy and scientific institutions in Brazil, India and Turkey across a number of issue areas. In addition, we are building on long-established activities and networks in third party countries where Emerging Powers are active, notably Africa and the Middle East.
