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This course examines the ongoing global debate on multilateralism in the 21st century amid the pressures of a new geopolitical landscape and great power competition. It delves into the critical state of multilateralism in an era defined by unprecedented disruption – from geopolitical shifts and technological upheaval to climate change and global health crises – and fragmentation in the international order, including the weakening of established institutions and rising nationalism. In the midst of geopolitical change, the contestation and revision of the rules-based order, both great powers and small and middle powers operate in multilateral frameworks, shaping, contesting, and navigating global norms and institutions. The urgency of the new realities is shifting the focus away from more traditional debates about effectiveness, participation and inclusion, justice, efficiency, post-state-centric approaches, and UN reform. Against this backdrop, Students analyze real-world scenarios and state behavior, and employ future-oriented thinking to gain a nuanced understanding of the ongoing debates on the need to reimagine long-held multilateral frameworks for effective global cooperation on shared challenges. Guest speakers and practitioners will enrich this learning experience.