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SAMIR PURI

Banner Samir Puri 24 Apr 2026

Westlessness:
Are we headed towards a more diverse global future?
Samir Puri

In demographic, economic, military, and cultural terms, we are hurtling towards a far more diverse global future. Many of our certainties about the present, built on centuries of massive Western global impact, are increasingly fragile. Untold wealth is moving from the West to the East, with nations like India and Indonesia set to reach new heights of growth and confidence. And China continues its ascent to the peak of the economic mountain. But are cracks appearing? And will the Western world, under the aegis of US global military, economic, technological, and cultural power, give up its privileged position willingly?


About the speaker

Samir Puri photo
Dr Samir Puri is Director of Chatham House's new Global Governance and Security Centre. He is a writer, academic, and former UK civil servant. He previously worked for the Foreign Office, including a year working in Ukraine. He was subsequently a lecturer in King’s College London and later a Senior Fellow at IISS-Asia in Singapore. His books include The Great Imperial Hangover: How Empires Have Shaped the World and Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing.


Image: Cover of Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing (Hodder & Stoughton, 2024)




Organised by the Friends of the Museums (FOM) with support from ACM

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Friday, 24 April 2026, 7-8 pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum
This lecture is free. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is required.
Friday, 24 April 2026, 7-8 pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum
This lecture is free. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration is required.

Westlessness:
Are we headed towards a more diverse global future?
Samir Puri

In demographic, economic, military, and cultural terms, we are hurtling towards a far more diverse global future. Many of our certainties about the present, built on centuries of massive Western global impact, are increasingly fragile. Untold wealth is moving from the West to the East, with nations like India and Indonesia set to reach new heights of growth and confidence. And China continues its ascent to the peak of the economic mountain. But are cracks appearing? And will the Western world, under the aegis of US global military, economic, technological, and cultural power, give up its privileged position willingly?


About the speaker

Samir Puri photo
Dr Samir Puri is Director of Chatham House's new Global Governance and Security Centre. He is a writer, academic, and former UK civil servant. He previously worked for the Foreign Office, including a year working in Ukraine. He was subsequently a lecturer in King’s College London and later a Senior Fellow at IISS-Asia in Singapore. His books include The Great Imperial Hangover: How Empires Have Shaped the World and Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing.


Image: Cover of Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing (Hodder & Stoughton, 2024)




Organised by the Friends of the Museums (FOM) with support from ACM

Friends of the Museums Logo     ACM logo_2019

 


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