The Future of Global Growth: Prof Jeffrey Sachs on Geopolitics and Fragmentation

In a compelling lecture at GIBS, world-renowned economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs unpacked one of the most important geopolitical dynamics of our time: the rebalancing of global economic power from the North Atlantic to Asia - and the implications for Africa’s development trajectory.

Drawing on history, economics, and global strategy, Prof Sachs offered a clear, evidence-based narrative:
The 2015 Council on Foreign Relations report explicitly framed preventing China’s rise as essential to preserving US primacy.
Adam Smith’s 1776 insights on trade foreshadowed today’s global realignment — a shift the West now struggles to accept.
Asia’s growth is a structured continuum: Japan’s modernisation (1868) → the Asian Tigers → China’s reforms (1978) → India’s liberalisation (1991) → and today’s rapid advances in Central Asia and the Gulf.
China has accelerated this trajectory, adapting lessons from Japan and Singapore to build one of the world’s most technologically advanced economies in just four decades.

Prof Sachs also emphasised a critical point for Africa: globalisation isn’t collapsing - it is reorganising. With Africa projected to hold 25% of the world’s population by 2050 and up to 40% by 2100, the continent has a historic opportunity to shape the next era of global growth. Achieving sustained 8–10% annual growth, however, will require deep investment in education, digital infrastructure, and institutional capability.

This session was not simply a geopolitical conversation - it was a strategic masterclass that connected 1776, 1945, 1978, and 2025 in a powerful through-line. For leaders, policymakers, and anyone invested in Africa’s future, it is essential viewing.

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