Workshop on Geopolitical Conflict, Trade, and Sanctions

Workshop on Geopolitical Conflict, Trade, and Sanctions,  11/26/2025 - 11/27/2025 at Harnack House Berlin,  Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance Co-organized by Prof. Marcel Thum (TU Dresden)

Last week at Berlin’s Harnack House, leading economists and political scientists gathered to explore how geopolitical competition is reshaping trade, sanctions, and global security. From the U.S.–China trade war to the vulnerabilities in undersea cables, the workshop highlighted the complex ways markets, sanctions, and infrastructure are intertwined.

Keynote speaker Dan Smith (former SIPRI Director) called for a 360-degree view of security—integrating human, national, and ecological dimensions. The lively discussion on Europe’s strategic autonomy underscored the need for smarter governance and resource allocation.

Many thanks to Kai A. Konrad, Dan Smith, Haishi Li , Gabriel Felbermayr , Gerald Schneider , Afiq bin Oslan, Pei-Yu Wei , Dzhamilya Nigmatulina , Timothy M. Peterson, Scott Gates , Christoph Trebesch , Stergios Skaperdas, Martin Bader for the inspiring two-day workshop.