JNU | RTI | Directory | Contact Us | Emergency Services | List of Holidays
-A A +A

CIPOD organises a talk by Constantino Xavier

CIPOD organises a talk by Constantino Xavier

Event From Date
Event End Date
Event Title
CIPOD organises a talk by Constantino Xavier
Event Details
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY
 
SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
 
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, ORGANIZATION AND DISARMAMENT
 
Cordially invites you to
 
A Talk on
 
Continuity, Change and Challenges for India’s Neighbourhood Policy
 
 
Speaker:
 
 
Constantino Xavier(Research Fellow, Brookings India)
 
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
 
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
Room No. 349, School of International Studies (SIS – II)
 
 
Abstract
 
Long-forgotten or neglected, India’s neighbourhood has recently gained new salience in Indian strategic thinking and practice. Courtesy China, South Asia’s strategic context is undergoing rapid transformation, with intersecting dynamics of security, connectivity and democracy. This talk focuses on how this is affecting India’s regional strategy and the role of democracy in its foreign policy. I will share some of the findings of my doctoral research, which examines Indian responses to different crises in the three neighboring countries of Nepal, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), and Myanmar (Burma), across three time periods (1950s-60s, 1980s, 2000s). By reconstructing policy debates in the government, based on newly declassified materials and interviews with decision-makers, the case studies demonstrate an Indian strategic culture of regional interventionism that balances values and interests. 
 
Constantino Xavier is a Research Fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings India in New Delhi. He researches on India’s foreign and security policies as a regional power, with a focus on institutions and decision-making processes, and also on relations with Europe. He is currently writing a book on India’s crisis response and involvement in neighboring countries (Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar), and also examining the challenges of security, connectivity and democracy across the South Asian and Indian Ocean regions. Xavier’s research also focuses on how India’s democratic values and institutions influence its external engagements and its relations with other democratic powers. Previously, he worked at the Brookings Institution, in Washington DC, as a media correspondent in South Asia, and as an adviser to the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi during the presidency of the European Union. He held fellowships at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and the Observer Research Foundation, in New Delhi, and received research awards from the United States Fulbright program and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Xavier holds a Ph.D. in South Asian studies from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies and an M.Phil. and M.A. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, School of International Studies. 

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.