On 14 January 2019, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted Prof. Wang Dong, Secretary-General, Pangoal Institution, Beijing. The Prof. exchanged ideas on the potential for enhanced India-China cooperation with the VIF faculty and members of the Confederation of the Indian Industry (CII).
For those baffled by the absurd magnitude of contemporary history – mammoth armies, perpetual wars, automated weapon systems, barbaric massacres, shocking terrorist attacks or weapons of mass destruction – history is perhaps the only refuge. For in it one begins to see some semblance of order emerging out of what otherwise appears a chaos threatening to spin out of control. The publication under review should find a respectable place in the list of those works which help us chart a somewhat broken path through such a landscape of human history.
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted a delegation from the Research Institute of Indian Ocean Economies (RIIO), Kunming, China, led by Prof. Zhu Cuiping and comprised of Dr Liu Peng, Dr Li Yanfang and Dr Zhong Ai. The. Dr Arvind Gupta delivered the opening remarks. Discussions were held on the current status of India-China Relations and the way forward, global geopolitics and triangular relationship between India-US and China, India’s Act East Policy and the prospects of India-China economic cooperation.
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted an interactive session with an Iranian delegation represented by Seyed Mohammd Kazem Sajjadpour, the President of Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), a think-tank based in Tehran, Ali Chegeni, Iranian ambassador to India, and Dr. Kyhan Barzeger. The Director, Dr. Arvind Gupta during the introductory remark touched upon global issues, regional developments, bilateral relations and developing scenario in Afghanistan.
The interaction was focused on India-South Korea bilateral relations and the uncertainty in the regional security architecture. Criticality of the Korean Peninsula in stabilizing the Northeast Asian order, dichotomy between the peace and denuclearization processes, inter-Korean summits, India’s Act East and South Korea’s New Southern Policy, the Indo-Pacific and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and concerns regarding China were discussed.
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) hosted an interaction with a senior delegation from the Institute of Democracy, South Korea, on November 22, 2018. The delegation was led by the director, Mr. Kim Minseok, who was formerly a member of the National Assembly (for two terms) and the Chairman of Democratic Party in 2015-16. He also held the position of Head Director, Situation Headquarters, Campaign Committee for President-elect Moon Jae-in in 2017.
… India’s national security establishments and the armed forces need to … take appropriate action wherever required to improve India’s posture in the cyber domain. Publishing a National Cyber Strategy and Cyber Strategy for the Ministry of Defence may be a good beginning ...
The One Belt One Road Initiative or the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the most widely discussed topics in the Chinese Foreign Policy. It has been five years since the launch of the BRI. On 17 May 2013 and 7 September 2013, Xi Jinping delivered speeches in Indonesia and Kazakhstan respectively highlighting the importance of connectivity vis-a-vis these countries with China. Against this background, Tom Miller’s book on the BRI is an opportunity to analyse the developments of the initiative.
The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a Conference on ‘Enhancing India-Africa Cooperation’ as a bilateral initiative with an objective to enhance growth and connectivity between India and Africa.
… many in Africa support China’s economic initiatives, but there has been some amount of resistance to the latter’s aggressive business plans fueled by the belief that the Chinese are sending their workers not hiring the local population, investments are self-serving and just about grabbing natural resources. While China has definitely improved infrastructure in Africa and delivered projects fast, it is advisable to verify the agreements signed keeping in consideration, ecological changes, and social development …