Centre for International Security Studies

2026 Michael Hintze Lecture

Entanglements in World Politics: The Power of Uncertainty

Article by Yuting Alina He | Photography by Yiyang Xu, PhD candidates in Government and International Relations at the School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney.

On Tuesday, 03 March 2026, Professor James Der Derian, Director of the Centre for International Security Studies (CISS), welcomed academics, alumni, students, and members of the public to the 2026 Michael Hintze Lecture, presented at the Chau Chak Wing Museum by Professor Peter J. Katzenstein from Cornell University.

The evening opened with remarks from the Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott, followed by Lord Michael Hintze, benefactor of CISS, whose reflections on Australia’s role in geopolitics and the work of the Centre set the stage for discussions on the challenges of uncertainty and entanglement amid the ongoing global polycrisis. Lord Hintze illustrated the importance of geopolitics in everyday life by recounting his own family history through the lens of major international events such as the Communist Revolution in Russia, the Second World War, and the Chinese Civil War.

He also reflected on Australia’s role in contemporary geopolitics. Far from being a peripheral player, he highlighted that Australia’s centrality in many of today’s most pressing global challenges and strategic developments. In this context, he emphasised that the study of international security is of growing importance in Australia. Noting its 20th anniversary, Lord Hintze expressed pride in supporting the establishment of the Centre, and spoke warmly of the research of current members under the leadership of Professor James Der Derian.

Following these opening remarks, the lecture, titled Entanglements in World Politics: The Power of Uncertainty, was delivered by Professor Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter, Jr. Professor of International Studies at Cornell University. In a world where uncertainty has become a defining feature and is often weaponised for implausible purposes, Professor Katzenstein argued that entanglements — networks of relations and interactions that co-constitute unpredictable yet interconnected political outcomes — are fundamental to understanding world politics today.

Drawing on insights from both the natural sciences and the humanities, he highlighted how breakthroughs in 20th-century science, particularly in fields such as quantum mechanics, can help us better understand complexity, interconnection, and unpredictability in an era marked by rapid technological change, shifting power dynamics, post-truth politics, and overlapping global crises. This perspective challenges traditional approaches to international relations that rely on Cartesian-Newtonian assumptions of stability, fixed identities, and linear causality. The lecture sparked a lively Q&A discussion between Professor Katzenstein and the audience on themes including global uncertainty, US politics, the Trump administration, and the politics of truth.

Following the lecture, CISS had the honour of hosting a dinner at the Chau Chak Wing Museum with distinguished guests and alumni. The evening ended with notes of appreciation from Vice-Chancellor Scott and Professor Der Derian, to Lord Michael Hintze for his longstanding generosity in supporting academic research and intellectual exchange; to Professor Peter J. Katzenstein for an inspirational lecture; and to Sydney Nano Institute and the Chau Chak Wing Museum for their co-sponsorship of the event.

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