Afshin Molavi
Afshin Molavi is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and founder of the Emerging World newsletter. As a former journalist, geopolitical risk analyst and World Bank staffer, Molavi has traveled widely, logging hundreds of thousands of miles across the globe, chronicling our world in surprising ways.
Peppering his talks with anecdotes from his travels, a deep reading of history, broad industry knowledge, and touches of pop culture, Molavi speaks widely on geopolitical risk, global trends, globalization, and the intersection of policy, business, and markets. From Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi, from Boston to Beijing, Molavi has delivered impactful keynotes for a wide range of audiences from global asset management firms and leading investment banks to travel and tourism boards and trade associations.
A uniquely insightful commentator, Molavi draws from a wide range of his travel experiences, readings,…
The New Geopolitical Risk (and Opportunity) Map of the World
From the growing U.S-China Cold War to rapidly evolving Middle East geopolitics to a resurgent Russia and the new techno-fueled populism, the macro geopolitical environment is as fluid and uncertain as any time in recent history. Author and geopolitical strategist Afshin Molavi explores the straight out-of-the-headlines issues shaping our world today, while geo-locating them in the broad tectonic trends shaping our future. A veteran risk analyst with postings in the Middle East and Asia, Molavi brings personal on-the-ground experience as well as academic rigor to his exploration of the key questions around geopolitical risks and - he is quick to point -- geopolitical opportunities in a world in transition.
The Five Disruption-Proof Trends Shaping Our World & Their Impact on Politics, Business & Technology
From rapid urbanization and growing middle classes to unprecedented connectivity and technology acceleration, Molavi navigates audiences through five key demographic and universal growth trends that are reshaping our world. He describes these shifts as “disruption-proof” in that they transcend our day-to-day political, economic and trade developments. Understanding their importance will help any organization navigate the competitive global landscape for the next twenty-five years.
Gangnam Style Globalization & Our New World Order
From South Korean K-Pop boy bands to the rise of Turkish soap operas and Indian Netflix serials, a new globalization of pop culture is emerging around the world. This “Gangnam Style Globalization” reflects a new, rapidly evolving global geopolitical and geoeconomic climate that is shaping and re-shaping our future, creating new centers of political and economic power, and forcing investors and policy-makers to rethink their mental maps of the future. Author and geopolitical strategist Afshin Molavi takes audiences on an illuminating and entertaining tour of this evolving world - though he promises to not do the Gangnam Style dance in process.
Shanghai, Mumbai, Dubai or Goodbye: The New, New Emerging Markets Transformation & What It Means for Our World
Author and geopolitical strategist Afshin Molavi takes a tour around the new geo-economic horizon reshaping our world, and what it means for markets, cultures, societies, and politics. As a former Dubai-based journalist and Asia risk strategist, Molavi brings personal anecdotes, deep economic insights, and broad trends analysis into an illuminating, entertaining tour of our evolving world. Molavi goes beyond the BRICs and beyond the usual markets analysis to dive deep into newly forming alliances, key consumer trends, and major macro shifts shaping what he calls the “85 world” - where 85% of the world’s population lives, from Asia to Africa to Latin America to the Middle East.
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