Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Briefing by RIAC for VIF Experts on the Developments in Ukraine

The Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) organized a briefing for experts at the Vivekananda International Foundation on the recent developments in Russia-West Relations and the escalating situation in and around Ukraine. The welcoming remarks were delivered by Mr. Andrey Kortunov, Director General, RIAC. Russian experts, Dr. Yulia Nikitina, Ms. Ekaterina Chimiris and Mr. Sergey Utkin, presented a Russian vision of the current situation in Ukraine and spoke about the foreseeable scenarios and forecasts for the region at large. The discussion was moderated by Ms.

February 23, 2022 Event Report

India’s Engagement with Human Rights

The Vivekananda International Foundation hosted a discussion on India’s Engagement with Human Rights on 27th January 2022. In 2021, India got elected to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the second term (2022-24) to strengthen its commitment to protecting and promoting human rights. Some of the key discussion themes were the structure and functioning of the UNHRC, India and Human Rights Treaties Body and India’s approach towards the Human Rights Council. Participants included retired diplomats, scholars and other government representatives.

February 16, 2022 Event Report

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: January 2022

Naval Jagota

Vivekananda International Foundation organized four expert group interactions, and an ongoing dialogue with the American think tank; Centre for New American Studies (CNAS) through webinars in the month of January 2022. All these interactions and dialogues covered a wide spectrum of topics as well as geography across the world. The selection of topics are contemporary and of interest to academia, policy makers, decision makers and the general public.

February 10, 2022 VIF Report

VIF-RIAC-IPIS Trilateral on the Developments in Afghanistan and their Regional Implications

The VIF, in collaboration with the Russian Institute of International Affairs (RIAC), Russia and the Institute of Political and International Studies (IPIS), Iran organised a webinar on the "Developments in Afghanistan and their Regional Implications” on 6 October 2021. Participants included Dr. Arvind Gupta, Andrey Kortunov, Mohammad Hasan Sheikholeslami, Seyyed Rasoul Mousavi, Amb. P.S. Raghavan, Mikhail Konarovsky Gleb Ivashentsov, Amb. Arun K Singh, Hosein Ebrahim Khani, Sanjay Singh, Bahman Agharazi, Andrey Kazantsev, among others.

February 02, 2022 Event Report

Quad Plus Dialogue

The Quad Plus Dialogue is held every quarter since 2013 and the Vivekananda International Foundation has been the designated think tank representing India since the inception of this dialogue. Apart from VIF, the other think tanks from Quad members include Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), Japan; Heritage Foundation, US and Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Australia. Meetings of this Group are organised on a quarterly basis. The latest round of this meeting was organised virtually on 13 October 2021 and was hosted by The Heritage Foundation.

February 02, 2022 Event Report

VIF-CNAS Webinar on Space and Biotech

The VIF in collaboration with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) of the U.S., has initiated a series of discussions on the potential for collaboration between the US and India on New and Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Cyber/ digital, 5G/6G, Biotech and Space. To this extent, a discussion on Cyber and 6G was conducted in July 2021 followed by a discussion on the scope for collaboration in AI and Quantum computing in November 2021.

February 02, 2022 Event Report

VIF-Sichuan University Dialogue

On 13 January 2022, VIF held a virtual interaction with scholars from Sichuan University. The speakers were Amb. Anil Wadhwa (retd), Amb Gautam Mukhopadhaya (retd) and Mr. Pranav Kumar from the Indian side. Prof. Liu Siwei, Prof. Zhang Li, Prof. Yang Wenwu were part of the Chinese delegation. The discussion took place on three areas- the Indo-Pacific, Afghanistan and, on respective economies. Both sides exchanged views on these issues. The bilateral relations have changed, the standoff at the LAC continues. Simultaneously the global and regional situation has changed.

January 25, 2022 Event Report

Talk on ‘India-Uzbekistan Relations and the Regional Dynamics’ by Amb. Manish Prabhat, Indian Ambassador to Uzbekistan

Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a virtual interaction with Mr. Manish Prabhat, Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan, on ‘India-Uzbekistan Relations and the regional dynamics’ on October 4, 2021, to discuss the current status of Indo-Uzbek relations and regional security and strategic dimensions. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, delivered the opening remarks. Amb Amar Sinha, Amb. P. S.

January 24, 2022 Event Report

Vimarsh on Strategic Developments in the Indo-Pacific

On 17th January, 2021 the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), hosted Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, a retired diplomat and Distinguished Fellow at the VIF, to deliver a talk on the “Strategic Developments in the Indo-Pacific” as a part of its Vimarsh Dialogue Series. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director of the VIF, welcomed the speaker and delivered his opening remarks.

January 20, 2022 Event Report

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: December 2021

Naval Jagota

Vivekananda International Foundation organized two expert group interactions through webinars in the month of December 2021. The reduced number of expert groups meetings were due to previous commitments, and holidays for most of the participants. However the two expert groups covered a wide geographic swath of the Indo-Pacific and West Asia and deliberated on very important events and thus provide understanding and contextualized the present discourse from a larger geo-political and Indian perspective. The diversity of the expertise brought rich flavor and knowledge on the topic.

January 20, 2022 VIF Report