2nd Meeting of Head of Think-Tanks of India and Russia, New Delhi, 04 Dec 2017

Session on ‘Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the Backdrop of the Changing Landscape of World Order’

Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), New Delhi, chaired a session titled ‘Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the Backdrop of the Changing Landscape of World Order’, during the 2nd Meeting of Head of Think-Tanks (HoTT) of India and Russia, at New Delhi on 04 Dec 2017.

The participants included members of Russian Think Tanks, including the following:-

• Prof Alexandra Safronova, Dean of the Department of History, Institute of Asian and African Countries (IAAS);
• Prof Leonid Fituni, Deputy Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Prof Sergey Demidov, Vice Rector, Ryazan State University;
• Prof Antonia Noskova, Professor, Sociology , Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO);
• Prof Alexander Usoltsev, Head of the International Cooperation Department, Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR).

Some interesting suggestions were made to further strengthen India- Russia relationships and bring these in line with contemporary requirements. Prof Leonid Fituni, Deputy Director, Institute for African Study of the Russian Academy of Sciences, suggested a joint Indo-Russian initiative on Africa. Prof Sergey Demidov, Vice Rector of Ryazan University, outlined the economic commercial and educational opportunity in Ryazan and invited India to take advantage. He pointed out that the Radio Technical Institute of Rayazan University is heavily subscribed by Chinese students. Professor Noscova of the MGIMO compared the Indian and Russian democratic friends and suggested that the experts of two sides should study democratic trends more closely. Prof Alexander Usoltsev of Russian foundation for basic research underlined the need for greater cooperation between Indian and Russian Scientists.