Globalisation, in the years after the Cold War, was seen as one of humanity’s most promising experiments. It broke barriers, fostered interdependence, and opened unprecedented opportunities for trade, development and collaboration. The promise was genuine. Prosperity could spread beyond borders, countries could access new avenues of growth and talent could move more freely. The information revolution and the rise of the Internet seemed to flatten hierarchies and give individuals the tools to plug directly into the world economy. For a while, this new openness felt transformative, millions were lifted out of poverty and entire sectors — from IT services to global finance — were re-engineered to levels unimaginable before. Yet even as globalisation delivered these profound benefits, it also carried seeds of discontent. The very features that made it powerful — free flows of…
