On 30th May 2014, Dr Wang Xu, Asst. Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, Peking University, Beijing visited the VIF for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutes for academic exchanges.
A three member delegation from the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Beijing led by Dr Li Li, Associate Research Fellow at CICIR visited the VIF on 30th May 2014 and interacted with the VIF faculty. The other members of the delegation were Dr Wang Shida and Song Qingrun.
A 17-member delegation of senior level defence officers and defence ministry officials from the UK and other countries led by Commandant RCDS, Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), Lt. Gen (Retd) Sir David Bill, KCB, visited the VIF on 30th May for a briefing and interaction on Indian economic and security perspectives.
A ten member Vietnamese delegation visited Vivekananda International Foundation on 16 April 2014 for discussions and signing of an MOU between the Institute of Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies (IFPSS), Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the VIF for academic exchanges. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director General of the Institute and Mr. Ajit Doval, Director VIF signed the MOU in the presence of visiting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Pham Quang Vinh.
H.E. Khaled Ali Moustafa El-Bakly, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt interacted with members of the strategic community at the VIF on April 02, 2014. The Ambassador spoke on the current situation and the upcoming elections in Egypt. He elaborated on the challenges posed by radical extremists of the Muslim Brotherhood and how the state is coping with them. The spiral of violence in Egypt has given a fresh impetus to Al Qaeda linked terror groups particularly in the Sinai, which could have far wider regional ramifications if left unchecked.
Dr Klaus Lange, Director of the Institute of Transnational Studies, Munich with branches in Italy and Gurgaon, India and Dr Klara Knapp, Deputy Director of ITS interacted with the VIF faculty on 04 April, 2014. Dr Lange shared his perspective on Ukrainian crisis which was different from the official European view being articulated. The Indian perspective on the Ukrainian crisis was presented by VIF Joint Director Amb PP Shukla, who had served earlier as India’s Ambassador to Russia.
A 17 member Swedish delegation led by Mr Henrik Haggstorm from the Swedish Armed Forces HQ interacted with the VIF faculty on 03 April 2014 on the regional and international security scenario. The Swedish delegation included Swedish Defence Attaches in Beijing, Washington, Seoul, Canberra Bangkok, and Islamabad among others. Officials from the Swedish Foreign Affairs ministry also formed part of the group. The delegation was keen to learn about India’s perspective on strategic and security environment in the region in general and about terrorism in particular.
It makes sense to review the two books together and not just because they are written by the same author, and within a short period of each other [both were written in 2013]. The more compelling reason for doing so is that they deal with the same phenomenon – the pattern of growth among some high performing economies, based on similar drivers of growth: heavy reliance on investment and exports. The first book has an exclusive focus on China and how these drivers have created the miracle, but which has now exhausted its potential, and must change.
In his interaction with the VIF faculty on March 26, Ambassador of France to India H E Francois Richier began by identifying the similarities between India and France – above all, the commitment to maintaining strategic autonomy. This did not mean isolation, for no nation could afford to function entirely on its own in this day and age. But it did mean that where their vital interests were involved, they would act with or without external support.
Introduction September 11, 2001 was a watershed in the manner in which the world acknowledged and responded to terrorism. The monstrosity of the multiple attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people in one planned strike brought universal condemnation for terror acts and the community of nations got together to formulate a collective response, in what came to be known as the ‘Global War on Terrorism’ (GWOT).