International relations have changed dramatically in just a few years. Rising geopolitical tensions are pushing countries in new directions, while states in the Global South are asserting their position with growing confidence. Dirk-Jan Koch and Annelies Zoomers, closely involved in the AIV report ‘The Netherlands, Europe and the Global South in a Changing World Order’, reflect on what this means for how Dutch knowledge institutions should recalibrate their compass.
Text: Irene Salverda
In September 2025, the Netherlands Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) published this report. “We issue policy advice more often, of course, but never before have so many different parties approached us to discuss it,” says Dirk-Jan Koch, Secretary-General of the AIV and professor at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
That widespread interest is no coincidence: if the Netherlands and Europe are to avoid becoming caught between major powers such as China and the United States, a fundamental reassessment of cooperation with the Global South is essential.
Moving beyond a superior stance
In the past, cooperation between the Netherlands and so-called “developing countries” was marked by unequal power relations. Dutch knowledge partners readily offered solutions to problems such as poverty, hunger or flooding, while local actors were mainly seen as recipients—often with an implicit trade perspective.
That neo-colonial attitude is now outdated. Driven by demographic and economic shifts, countries in the Global South are increasingly setting their own agendas. “We will have to get used to the fact that the world no longer revolves around us,” says Annelies Zoomers, emeritus professor of development studies at Utrecht University, with a smile. “When building new relationships, we must – as many parties in the Netherlands are fortunately already doing – move away from an attitude of superiority.”
Joining forces in a bipolar world order
These new partnerships are all the more important now that a geopolitical storm is brewing and major powers such as China, the US and Russia dominate the global stage with their own agendas. “Our advice is urgent: we must prevent Dutch interests from becoming squeezed in a bipolar world order,” says Zoomers, who led the AIV study.
To avoid getting caught in the rivalry between China and the US, we must work far more closely with countries in the Global South.'
China and Russia wield significant influence in the Global South, while at the same time the United States is retreating from international agreements. As a result, Europe—and with it the Netherlands—risks being increasingly caught between competing power blocs. To avoid getting caught in the rivalry between China and the US, we must work far more closely with countries in the Global South. That demands a very different attitude than in the past.”
Koch adds: “It calls for long-term strategic partnerships, in which issues that are currently fragmented—development cooperation, migration, trade and exports—are connected and agendas are shaped jointly.”
Minilateralism
The group of rapidly rising countries in the Global South is broad—from emerging powers such as Brazil, India and Indonesia to countries like South Africa and Nigeria. But Zoomers and Koch caution against focusing too narrowly on these ‘big players’. “Everyone is trying to gain a foothold there,” says Zoomers. “For a small delta country such as the Netherlands, it can be just as attractive to cooperate with a mix that also includes smaller countries—building on existing relationships while developing new partnerships around raw materials, migration, trade or climate.”
The report therefore advocates ‘minilateralism’: cooperation with several countries within a region, explicitly incorporating a South–South perspective. This approach centers the knowledge, experiences and priorities of countries in the Global South themselves, rather than those of Western nations.
Moving beyond an Anglo-American orientation
What do these recommendations mean for knowledge institutions? “In science, too, our orientation has long been very Anglo-American,” says Zoomers. “That is reflected in journals, scientific standards and the language in which we publish. It is time to let go of that and, as Europe, seek our own perspective—one that leaves room for closer cooperation with Africa, Asia and Latin America.” Koch adds: “It is time to formulate research questions together with partners elsewhere, without predefined agendas. We must truly learn to listen first.”
According to Koch, this also means that cooperation must become far more demand-driven. That implies starting from the priorities of partner countries themselves—rather than from solutions or research agendas developed in the Netherlands. “You begin with what is happening locally: what problems do people experience, what concerns and opportunities do they see?” he explains. He gives the example of raw material sourcing in Congo: “We primarily focused on conflict risks, while Congo itself was much more interested in whether it could add local value by setting up processing industries. You have to understand those different perspectives and interests first before meaningful cooperation can emerge.”
Working together on global challenges
But can you truly set aside all agendas when addressing global problems? “Of course, you still need to share some basic principles, such as cooperating with countries where there is at least a degree of academic freedom,” says Koch. “And the core focus remains collaboration on major global challenges such as climate change, hunger and poverty. But you do not have to agree on solutions—what matters is that you take each other’s perspectives seriously, without adopting a superior position.”
Exchanging knowledge and perspectives
Zoomers points to a recent project on sustainable cities as a good example of this new way of working. Scientists from very different countries exchanged their questions, challenges and solutions around sustainable urban development while travelling together. “The process did not start from a predefined agenda. You then see how strongly local contexts differ, yet how much you can learn from one another in the search for workable solutions,” she says.
According to Koch and Zoomers, the Netherlands should also make much better use of existing alumni networks, diaspora communities and long-standing partnerships. “Cooperation works best when you are also invited,” says Koch. “That begins with relationships that already exist.” He notes that universities in countries such as India and Indonesia are becoming increasingly selective in choosing their partners: “You have to offer added value—and you have to be asked. That is no longer self-evident.”
Knowledge flowing away
Major budget cuts to development cooperation in recent years have led to the disappearance of various exchange programmes with knowledge institutions in the Global South. “At some faculties, not a single African researcher remains,” says Koch. Obtaining visas to study in the Netherlands or attend a conference has also become considerably more difficult. “Countries such as China and Russia operate much more flexible visa policies and are attracting academics who previously came to us. We must realise that valuable knowledge is slowly leaking away as a result.”
This also touches on the idea of science diplomacy, Koch and Zoomers argue: science as a connecting force in a polarised world. “You may find certain countries politically difficult, yet still depend on their knowledge to solve climate problems.”
Broad knowledge programmes as a foundation for solutions
Zoomers and Koch therefore argue that it is time to dismantle the silos through which the Netherlands has traditionally approached cooperation with the Global South. “A one-discipline or one-sector approach—or cooperation limited to university-to-university—is outdated,” says Zoomers. Instead, she pleads for broad knowledge programmes in which Dutch and international institutions jointly address societal challenges. “This is how new networks and relationships with the Global South emerge that can counterbalance the bipolar world order,” she says. “And it is precisely these new forms of cooperation that generate solutions we would otherwise never have found.”
Key recommendations from the AIV report:
Reposition the Netherlands and the EU in relation to the Global South
Strengthen relationships with key partners in the Global South, based on equality, mutual interest and respect for international law.
Support multilateral reforms
Work actively with countries in the Global South on structural reforms of the United Nations, the IMF and the World Bank.
Engage in flexible coalitions through minilateral partnerships
Cooperate around specific themes such as climate, food security or debt relief, and actively join initiatives originating in the Global South itself.
Build green economic partnerships
Go beyond stimulating trade flows and invest actively in industrial clusters and local processing of raw materials in the Global South.
Invest in knowledge and networks
Reverse budget cuts and provide new impulses for diplomatic missions, academic cooperation and cultural exchange as the foundation for long-term, sustainable relationships.
At Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities (LDE), together with our partners, we also invest in building intercontinental knowledge networks of future leaders. The GROW programme, supported by the EU and the Netherlands Research Council, is an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral (‘Triple-I’) PhD programme in which African researchers work in the Netherlands on global challenges related to the African continent, in close co-creation with African partners.
Currently, 50 PhD candidates are working within this Triple-I approach, translating knowledge into policy, practice and entrepreneurship. This growing GROW community of academics and non-academics is already building strong bridges between the Netherlands and many African countries.
https://growinresearch.eu/
