Global Perspectives
2025 has been a year of extremes. Across the globe, some nations stumbled, others surged, and a few attempted bold experiments that could redefine their futures.
At the start of the year, we asked ourselves: which countries would matter most? We couldn’t predict the twists and shocks that lay ahead—but we could look for the stories that reveal deeper patterns. Now, after months of conversations with professors, journalists, and industry leaders from those countries the picture is clearer.
What we found are countries testing audacious ideas, from radical economic overhauls to sustainable tech strategies, from harnessing migration to mobilizing youth power. In every case, the changes we see today are the result of forces that began long before—and that will shape the years to come.
The lesson? To understand the world, you have to go local. These are the stories of innovation, resilience, and transformation—each one a window into the future being built, one country at a time.
Dive deeper and explore the local voices behind the stories of Argentina, Malaysia, Spain, Bangladesh, and Egypt.
As with all our work, this exploration is a continuous project, evolving naturally with human progress and open to contributions. Please write your advices at imminent@translated.com.
Explore the Stories
The Chainsaw and the Code
Argentina
Argentina is attempting something audaciously simple in 2025: to spend less than it earns. For a country that's spent decades lurching between crises, achieving zero deficit for the first time in nearly a century represents the beginning of something completely new. Read the full conversation with Alexander Ditzend, President of Sociedad Argentina De Inteligencia Artificial.
Read the interview with A. Ditzend
Changing the Rules of the Game
Malaysia
Malaysia entered the AI race late—and that may be its greatest strength. While other nations sprinted to build data centers, hoard GPUs, and inflate forecasts, Malaysia watched from the sidelines. It studied the failures and then, in 2025, it began building something different. Read the full conversation with Dr. Ruhaila Maskat, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Read the interview with Dr. Maskat
The Quiet Architecture of Prosperity
Spain
Spain’s success in 2025 didn’t arrive with fanfare. It materialized quietly, almost imperceptibly, until the numbers made it impossible to ignore. The secret? Stability—economic, social, and political—has become the country’s strongest currency. Read the full conversation with Antonio Aloisi, professor at IE University Law School in Madrid.
Read the interview with Prof. Aloisi
The Weight of a Revolution’s Promise
Bangladesh
When students took to the streets of Dhaka in July 2024, they achieved the extraordinary: ending Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule. But 2025 has raised deeper questions about the nature of democracy itself, ushering in a period of profound transformation. Read the full conversation with Prof. Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Read the interview with Prof. Rahman
The Fourth Pyramid
Egypt
On November 1, Egypt unveiled the Grand Egyptian Museum, a statement of civilizational ambition. Drones over Giza spelled Egypt: Land of Peace. Yet the museum is only the most visible sign of a broader effort to reposition the country economically and geopolitically in a shifting world.
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