Interview – Zachary Lavengood

This interview is a part of a sequence of interviews with teachers and practitioners at an early stage of their profession. The interviews talk about present analysis and initiatives, in addition to recommendation for different early profession students.

Zachary Lavengood is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at Charles College’s Institute of Worldwide Research, Division of North American Research. His analysis focuses on Arctic and Eurasian geopolitics with a selected give attention to flashpoints and geopolitical evolutions because of local weather change. His printed works embody: The Evolving Arctic within the World-System, China and the twenty first Century Arctic: Alternatives and Limitations, and Inspecting the South China Sea Dispute with Basic Morphological Evaluation

What (or who) prompted essentially the most important shifts in your considering or inspired you to pursue your space of analysis?

Immanuel Wallerstein has had a big influence on my educational thought, I’d even go so far as to label myself as a fanboy. I first got here throughout his work as I used to be getting ready for my Grasp’s program, in a textbook on worldwide relations I had picked up from a secondhand bookshop. Excerpts of his writing piqued my curiosity and over the next years I learn by way of his works. His world-systems concept and its means to research world affairs from an Archimedian level, and certainly the frankness with which it spoke of inequalities and exploitation, modified my outlook on the world round me. Its desire for objectivity over idealism has continued to form my analysis. 

What geopolitical challenges and alternatives do you see rising within the Arctic area? How would possibly these influence worldwide relations within the coming years?

The Arctic is present process a elementary shift in its id from a geopolitical afterthought to a rising aspect of many states’ grand technique. This has come about because of local weather change which has brought about the area to evolve from a area of frigid predictability to seasonal climatic extremes; with this evolution comes a bounty of latest alternatives reminiscent of sources revealing themselves from ice-lock, lengthy wanted delivery routes over Eurasia, and a budding tourism trade. Nonetheless this comes at a price, the climactic shift going down within the Arctic, the quickest warming area on the planet, if left unchecked will trigger important environmental reverberations throughout the world-system as essential geophysical processes (reminiscent of ocean currents or the polar albedo impact) are put into jeopardy; sadly it’s prone to proceed as the worldwide group drags its ft on addressing local weather change. 

Whereas this goes on, states will start to claim their pursuits within the area which has the potential to lift tensions. That is redoubled as a result of Arctic Council, the area’s premiere multilateral discussion board, changing into inert because of fallout from the warfare in Ukraine. It’s essential to do not forget that the area solely turned internationalized after the Chilly Struggle, so it doesn’t have a historical past of priority to cope with fluctuations in tensions like many others throughout the world-system. Whereas that is regarding, it shouldn’t essentially be seen as existential. Whereas relations can as soon as once more freeze, as they had been pre-1991, the Arctic is an extremely troublesome atmosphere to operate in from a safety perspective, because of this a lot of the navy infrastructure within the Excessive North is defensive in nature which means as an entire the area is much less inclined to open battle; it’s tougher to rattle a protect than a saber. 

What makes the Arctic essential for China? How do these pursuits influence the priorities and selections China makes within the area?

China is a rising energy on the worldwide stage and is trying to find a approach to make a reputation for itself within the world-system, or in additional educational phrases is searching for status. The Arctic is one space the place it sees alternatives to unfold its affect and garner this status, prompting Beijing to insert itself into regional dynamics with the self-adhered standing of being a ‘near-Arctic state’ per their Arctic coverage white paper (printed in 2018). They efficiently turned an observer on the Arctic Council in 2013 and have since then inserted themselves into most of the area’s monitor II dialogues, foremost of that are scientific pursuits which China spends important funding on, each in an effort to additional its understanding of the Arctic’s atmosphere, but in addition as a approach to foster relations with different states and their scientific communities. The area can be flush with most of the sources (primarily hydrocarbons) that China must maintain its power hungry economic system working, and importantly presents a possibility to diversify its power portfolio; it is a strategic concern provided that within the occasion of a battle in its dwelling area (reminiscent of within the South China Sea), its provides from the Center East could possibly be lower off and restrict its capability to maintain its economic system/navy. 

Regardless of its declare of being a near-Arctic state, China is effectively conscious of its lack of company within the area and the suspicion the Arctic eight, particularly the littoral states, view outsiders with and approaches the Arctic with much less of a dragon’s roar than in its dwelling area. China’s greatest companion within the Arctic is Russia and has used this relationship to achieve a toehold within the Arctic, largely by way of bi-lateral agreements and offers between Beijing and Moscow, which may give China a possibility to work together within the Arctic with out showing assertive (for instance the Yamal LNG venture). This nonetheless has been muted in the intervening time as a result of warfare in Ukraine prompting Russia to be excluded from a lot of the area’s multilateral engagements. This implies too that China’s place has been weakened within the Excessive North, and should be cautious with its partnerships with Russia within the area (particularly expertise exchanges and useful resource investments/purchases) lest it draw the ire of the sanction-happy West. 

Can the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic waters compete economically with the South China Sea sooner or later? Why/how?

In the interim that is unlikely. Whereas the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is extra open now to visitors than ever earlier than, it nonetheless poses important drawbacks in comparison with conventional delivery routes which frequently usually are not well worth the time/value advantages of crusing alongside the NSR. Foremost is its restricted (although widening) delivery season which is just open whereas there isn’t any, or skinny sufficient sea ice for secure transits; particularly on the excessive ends of the delivery season fast adjustments within the climate may cause ships to be caught within the ice (as occurred in November 2021). Moreover Russia has utilized a strict regime of laws for ships crusing alongside the NSR, together with utilizing Russian pilots, insurance coverage necessities, charges, and so on. which may trigger many delivery companies to look elsewhere the place there are fewer problems. Once more nonetheless, in occasions of geopolitical extremes the NSR might turn out to be useful to keep away from areas just like the South China Sea the place ships are extra susceptible to hostile navies. In the meanwhile the NSR is most used for ‘vacation spot delivery’ (delivery to/from a port positioned alongside the route) versus ‘transit delivery’ (delivery from an Asian port to at least one in Europe or vice-versa), a pattern which is prone to proceed for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, the NSR is actually on the radar of purchasing companies who will enhance their use of the route ought to it develop into more economical. 

Why is a World-Methods Perspective helpful for analyzing present occasions within the Arctic?

The Arctic is a dynamic area which is greatest seen from a large lens that may present the connections that different world areas must the Excessive North. World-systems evaluation permits observers to keep away from conventional educational boundaries which might restrict connecting evaluation of 1 area with one other, or focus solely on economics or solely on politics; the versatile scope of research is what makes world-systems evaluation so helpful in offering goal empirical analysis, and the Arctic is not any exception. Because the area turns into extra internationalized and extra lively because of local weather change, it will be important that observers keep a holistic understanding of the Arctic’s geopolitical processes which is feasible by way of world-systems evaluation. 

What are you at the moment engaged on?

In the meanwhile I’m finishing my doctoral dissertation which focuses on making a deeper understanding of geopolitical flashpoints as social phenomena. Within the dissertation I take advantage of the Arctic and the South China Sea as case research for aggressive and conflictual flashpoints respectively, specializing in the diplomatic, financial, and safety elements which contributed to the flashpoints’ inception and perpetuation. Within the work, I create a typology of flashpoints which I hope will discover use within the fields of battle research and battle mitigation. 

What’s crucial recommendation you possibly can give to different early profession or younger students?

I’d encourage early profession and younger students to keep up an unbiased thoughts of their analysis; don’t take sides or attempt to help political/nationwide narratives, there’s already lots of that on this planet. What helps us transfer ahead is goal analysis which presents the world because it actually is, for higher or for worse, in order that we as a worldwide group can work to repair the lingering issues of the twentieth century and the evolving issues of the twenty first century that humanity should face to make sure a greater future for all. 

Additional Studying on E-Worldwide Relations