The BEARR Trust’s Annual Lecture 2025
The BEARR Trust 2025 Annual Lecture, generously hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) at their headquarters in Canary Wharf, took place on Tuesday, 14 October 2025.
The event took the form of a discussion between Bobo Lo, international relations expert and author, and Kadri Liik, journalist and political analyst, on the subject of “is it all over for the rules-based international order?” It was moderated by Sir Roderic Lyne, Patron of The BEARR Trust and former British Ambassador in Moscow (2000–2004).
A report of the event written by BEARR Trustee Sam Thorne can be found here.
Following the lecture, a reception provided an opportunity to continue the conversation and connect with fellow attendees with an interest in the field.
All proceeds from the lecture went towards BEARR’s work supporting grassroots civil society organisations in the field of health and social welfare in the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. The funds raised will also support the work of our Ukraine Community Resilience Fund.
About the Speakers
Dr Bobo Lo is an independent international relations analyst. Formerly, he was Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Moscow. Dr Lo has written a number of books, including A Wary Embrace: What the China–Russia Relationship Means for the World; Russia and the New World Disorder; and Axis of Convenience: Moscow, Beijing and the New Geopolitics. His latest book, The Disorderly Society: Rethinking Global Governance in an Age of Anarchy, will come out in November this year.
Kadri Liik is an independent analyst based in Estonia. She has been a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations since 2012. Her research focuses on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic region. Before joining ECFR, Liik was the director of the International Centre for Defence Studies in Estonia from 2006 until 2011, where she also worked as a senior researcher and director of the Centre’s Lennart Meri Conference. Throughout the 1990s, Liik worked as a Moscow correspondent for several Estonian daily papers. She was also the host of “Välismääraja”, a current affairs talkshow at Raadio Kuku in Tallinn.
