CeMEAS Conversations:
What Makes a Superpower: New Perspectives on China’s Rise

We are excited to present Todd Hall as part of our CeMEAS Conversations. In this video Tod Hall discusses three questions:
1. Many scholars have compared Anglo-German rivalry before 1914 to the PRC-US relationship today. Why are such analogies problematic?
2. Which lessons of 1914 can we learn for East Asia today?
3. How do affect and emotion shape international relations? Could you provide one or two examples from East Asia?

Our video series “What Makes a Superpower: New Perspectives on China’s Rise” was filmed on the sidelines of our lecture series held at the University of Göttingen from April to June. In our conversations with Liu Kang, Todd Hall and Saori Katada we discuss China’s rise from the angle of political thought and Chinese exceptionalism, debate emotions in international relations and examine China’s diplomacy as well as its role within the BRICS countries.

Short Bio:
Prof Hall earned his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2008 and has held postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton and Harvard, as well as visiting scholar appointments at the Free University of Berlin, Tsinghua University in Beijing, and the University of Tokyo. Prior to joining the University of Oxford, Prof Hall held the position of Assistant Professor in Political Science at the University of Toronto (2010-2013). Research interests extend to the areas of international relations theory; the intersection of emotion, affect, and foreign policy; and Chinese foreign policy. Recent publications include articles in Asian Security, International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, Political Science Quarterly, and Security Studies. Prof Hall has also published a book with Cornell University Press, titled Emotional Diplomacy: Official Emotion on the International Stage, which was recently named co-recipient of the International Studies Association’s 2016 Diplomatic Studies Section Book Award.
Prof Hall’s research fields include: Theorizing the role of emotions and affect in international politics. The international relations of East Asia, with a specific focus on the foreign policy of China.

CeMEAS Conversation Editors: Sarah Eaton & Katja Pessl