“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.” — Antonio Gramsci Writing from prison, Antonio Gramsci described the world he lived in as liminal and unstable – seeing an old order fade and a new yet to emerge. He called these “times of monsters”: moments when established structures weaken, but new ones have yet to fully take shape. Today, the world appears to be in a similar phase. Western hegemony, long anchored in American leadership, is receding, while new powers such as China and India increasingly reshape global norms and values. The result is uncertainty about what the future will look like. This session explores what this transition means for cyber professionals and policymakers operating in an environment where established certainties are eroding and new risks – and opportunities – are emerging.
