The Rising Middle: Reshaping Global Order in a Multipolar World
An International Research Network
Department of Political Science, University of Windsor
The Rising Middle is an international research network based at the University of Windsor that examines how middle powers, particularly in the Global South, are navigating great-power competition, pursuing strategic autonomy, and contributing to the transformation of the international order. By bringing together scholars and policy experts from multiple regions, the initiative seeks to advance new perspectives on middle-power agency, international cooperation, and the future of global governance.
Understanding the changing role of middle powers and the Global South in an increasingly multipolar world.
The international order is undergoing significant transformation. Growing rivalry among major powers, shifting economic relationships, emerging security challenges, and the fragmentation of global governance are reshaping international politics. These developments coincide with the rise of middle powers as increasingly influential actors in regional and global affairs, challenging traditional power hierarchies and asserting greater agency in international politics.
The Rising Middle: Reshaping Global Order in a Multipolar World is an international collaborative research initiative that examines the evolving role of middle powers, particularly those in the Global South, in shaping the emerging international order. The project moves beyond conventional approaches that view international politics primarily through the lens of great-power competition. Instead, it focuses on the agency, strategic choices, and influence of middle powers, examining how these states navigate geopolitical rivalries, diversify international partnerships, pursue greater autonomy, and develop new forms of regional and international cooperation.
Our Research Focus
The Rising Middle network brings together scholars and policy experts from Canada, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to explore four interconnected research themes:
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Middle-Power Identity, Foreign Policy, and Strategic Agency: How emerging and established middle powers define their identities, pursue strategic autonomy, develop multivector foreign policies, and position themselves within a changing international system. This includes the use of soft power instruments, such as higher education, cultural diplomacy, and international partnerships, to advance foreign policy objectives and strengthen international influence.
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Geopolitical Competition and Economic Sovereignty: How middle powers navigate competition over natural resources, critical minerals, investment, trade, and economic development.
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Regional Security and Diplomacy: How regional actors respond to changing security dynamics, engage in diplomatic mediation, and manage relationships with competing global powers.
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Global Governance and Multipolarity: How middle powers contribute to, challenge, and reshape international institutions, norms, and structures of global governance.
Building an International Research Community
The initiative aims to build an international platform for scholarly exchange, collaborative research, and dialogue among academics and policy practitioners working across different regions and disciplines.
By bringing together diverse regional perspectives, the network seeks to develop a better understanding of how middle powers exercise agency and influence international politics, moving beyond traditional great-power-centred explanations of global order.
The project is coordinated by Drs. Elena Maltseva, Tom Najem, and Jesse Salah Ovadia of the Department of Political Science at the University of Windsor, in collaboration with an international network of scholars and academic partners.
Inaugural International Workshop | October 23–24, 2026
The network's inaugural international workshop, held virtually on October 23–24, 2026, brings together scholars and policy experts to discuss the changing role of middle powers in international politics.
The workshop focuses on middle-power diplomacy, strategic autonomy, competition over critical minerals, regional security, and the use of soft power in foreign policy. It also provides an opportunity to strengthen research partnerships, develop collaborative projects, and explore future publications.
Through these activities, The Rising Middle seeks to contribute to ongoing debates about the future of global order and the role of middle powers in shaping it.
The academic team’s profiles, including photographs, institutional affiliations, short biographies, and email addresses, will be published soon.
Coming soon: section for working papers, publications, and future collaborative activities.