For its 2007 – 2008 programme, SID has chosen ‘Energy, water and food: Global scarcities and power shifts' as the central theme. The world map is being overhauled. The sharp price increases for raw materials, energy and food have direct consequences for the relative position of countries on the economic world map as well as for their development perspectives. See for further information on the SID lectures, the SID website.

In 2006 – 2007, the central theme was ‘Democracy and development’. The promotion of democracy within the broader framework of international cooperation has become a heavily disputed subject both in academic and policy-making circles. Many issues have been raised in relation to this topic and not few of them seem to point to devilish policy dilemmas that cause uneasiness amongst politicians and policy makers in the field of international relations.