Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Avoiding the Fall; Michael Pettis; Carnegie Endowment 2013; PP 157; Price Rs 1238 & The Great Rebalancing; Michael Pettis; Princeton University Press 2013; PP 219; Price Rs 1859

Amb Prabhat P Shukla

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.

April 07, 2014 Books/Book Review

Talk by French Ambassador to India HE Francois Richier

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.

April 07, 2014 Event Report

International Terrorism Post 9/11: Emerging Trends and Global Response

Rohit Singh

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).

April 04, 2014 Paper

Interaction with EU Ambassador to India

Vivekananda International Foundation hosted an interaction with His Excellency Mr. João Cravinho, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to India on 13 March 2014, under its ongoing series of interactions with Ambassadors based in India. The closed-door interaction was chaired by Ambassador P P Shukla, Joint Director VIF, and included veteran Indian diplomats and former chiefs of Armed Services and Intelligence agencies of the country as participants.

March 19, 2014 Event Report

Interaction with Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan from Vietnam

Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Director General, Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Hanoi accompanied by Dr Vo Xuan Vinh, Institute for South East Asian Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences had an interaction with VIF faculty on 06 March 2014. Dr. Tuan spoke on the regional security situation in Asia-Pacific and how Vietnam was coping with the emerging strategic environment. He said that the challenges in the South China Sea have made Vietnam more resolute in defending its interests. Though the U.S.

March 07, 2014 Event Report

Doha Conference on Preparing for Afghanistan-2014

Scholars and strategic analysts from VIF, RUSI U.K., China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, China Institute for International Studies, China Academy of Social Sciences and other Chinese think tanks and Afghan experts came together for a two day workshop at Doha, Qatar from 26 to 27 February 2014 to deliberate on likely post- 2014 Afghanistan environment and measures that should be taken to work towards peace, stability and prosperity.

March 06, 2014 Event Report

Interaction with Professor Michael Wesley of Australian National University

At an interaction with the VIF faculty on February 18, 2014, Professor Michael Wesley from Australia spoke on a range of topics including Australia’s foreign policy towards Asia and South Asia, changing power dynamics in Asia and Australian perspectives on trends in international politics. He was accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to India Mr. Bernard Philip.

February 24, 2014 Event Report

Strategic Trends in Asia-Pacific and its Implications for India

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF

Introduction Events that are taking place in Asia-Pacific are a sub set of what is happening in Asia in particular and at the global level in general. While there has been an on-going shift of economic power to Asia, it is also quite apparent that most of the conflict spots of the world are in Asia. Rapid rise of People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its fast tracked militarisation has created not only its own geostrategic dynamics in the Asia-Pacific but also has caused reverberations at the global level.

February 17, 2014 Paper

Interaction with UK, MOD Team on Global Strategic Trends and Implications

A British team from Development of Concepts and Doctrine Centre of UK Ministry of Defence led by Brig. Matt Holmes made a presentation on ‘Global Strategic Trends: Setting the Strategic Context for Defence and Security’ and interacted with the VIF faculty on 10th February, 2014. Brig. Holmes explained at length the strategic trends and their trajectory over a period of 20 to 25 years which was considered somewhat as a very long period by the VIF analysts especially where it may not be possible to extrapolate trends in a linear manner.

February 15, 2014 Event Report

Interaction with Prof Stephen Cohen

Prof Stephen Cohen, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution interacted with members of the strategic community at VIF on 8 January 2014. He spoke on likely scenarios that could unfold in Afghanistan post the withdrawal of US troops and their impact on the regional security environment. He also shared his perspectives on various aspects pertaining to civil-military relations in Pakistan and Indo-Pak relations.

January 13, 2014 Event Report