Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: August 2022

In the month of August 2022 Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organized a total of seven expert group, think tank, round table and eminent person interactions with most of them being hybrid but with increasing in person attendance. The month saw the commencement of a new expert group on Geo-Economics in which the first discussions was on India and the neighbourhood.

September 12, 2022 VIF Report

Interaction with Amb Mohan Kumar on “WTO and Global Trade”

The Vivekananda International Foundation organized an interaction with Ambassador Mohan Kumar (retd) on “WTO and Global Trade” on 18 July 2022. After Welcoming Remarks by Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney (Retd), Ambassador Mohan Kumar expounded on the history of the WTO and its salience for India. Ambassador Kumar was India's lead negotiator first at the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and then at the WTO (World Trade Organization) in crucial areas such as Intellectual Property Rights, Services, Dispute Settlement and Environment.

September 09, 2022 Event Report

Qin, Hui, 2021. Globalization after the Pandemic: Thoughts on the Coronavirus. Translated by David Own by. Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press

Mihir Vikrant Kaulgud

During the pandemic, China has pursued a “zero COVID policy,” which has required harsh restrictions on citizens' mobility and freedoms. Well into 2022, the Chinese government is shutting down entire districts, because a few asymptomatic COVID cases were detected.[1] The government has also been willing to bear economic consequences of such strict policies as well. In comparison to countries like the US and the UK, the death toll and case load were reportedly less in China.

August 18, 2022 Books/Book Review

Visit of Third Batch Gen-Next Democracy Network Programme of ICCR to VIF

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organized the visit of the third batch of Gen-Next Democracy Network Programme. The delegates visited the Vivekananda International Foundation on July 21, 2022 for a roundtable discussion/lecture on different aspects and dimensions of Indian democracy. The eminent panel consisted of Prof Sujit Dutta, Distinguished Fellow & Editor – National Security, VIF; Professor Dr. (Ms.) Shashiprabha Kumar, Distinguished Fellow, VIF and Lt Gen RK Sawhney, Distinguished Fellow, VIF.

August 10, 2022 Event Report

VIF-IPIS Webinar on Bilateral, Regional and International Issues

In order to assess the dynamics of India-Iran relations, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) Iran, in collaboration with the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organized a webinar on Bilateral, Regional and International Issues on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, 1430-1630 Hrs. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director VIF delivered the welcome remarks followed by the opening remarks of Dr Mohammad Hassan Sheikholeslami, President, IPIS.

August 03, 2022 Event Report

West Asia Experts Group Meeting

The West Asia Experts Group Meeting was held on 8 July 2022 by the Vivekananda International Foundation, the discussion was focused on "The Geopolitical Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Middle East". The key speaker for the session was Giorgio Francesco Cafiero, CEO, Gulf State Analytics. The members attending and contributing were Amb. Anil Trigunayat (Coordinator); Amb. D P Srivastava; Dr. Meena Singh Roy; Prof. SujitDutta; Prof. Kingshuk Chatterjee; Vice Admiral Satish Soni; Lt. Gen. Ravi Sawhney and Director, VIF, Dr. Arvind Gupta.

August 02, 2022 Event Report

Interaction with Mr. Dammu Ravi on ‘Prospects of I2U2 Summit’

The Vivekananda International Foundation organised a discussion on "Prospects for I2U2 summit" on 25 July 2022. The key speaker in the discussion was Mr. Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs. The members attending and contributing were Amb. Anil Trigunayat; Amb.D P Srivastava; Amb. Satish Chandra; Amb. Anil Wadhwa; Amb. Prabhat Shukla, Vice Admiral Satish Soni; Dr. Meena Singh Roy; Prof. Sujit Dutta; Brig. Vinod Anand; Lt. Gen. Ravi Sawhney and Director, VIF, Dr. Arvind Gupta.

August 02, 2022 Event Report

Interaction with Prof. Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights

The Vivekananda International Foundation held an online interaction with Prof. Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights on 14 July 2022. In his Opening Remarks, Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, gave a brief insight into UN Special Procedures on Human Rights and highlighted the unifying force of culture in India’s political-social landscape. Prof. Xanthaki in her remarks focussed on the definition and scope of Cultural Rights, the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights including navigating the spectrum between tangible and intangible cultures.

August 01, 2022 Event Report

China's Cyber Espionage Operations

Maj Gen P K Mallick, VSM (Retd)

… India is on the hit list of some very sophisticated cybercriminal groups of attackers … Indian businesses need to take note as Singapore is becoming a significant hotspot for cyberattacks … China’s cyber espionage against Indian security forces, the ISRO, DRDO, BARC, critical information infrastructure etc… calls for extreme vigilance and mitigating actions ...

July 28, 2022 Issue Brief

Kashi Ram Sharma, ‘The Third Birth of Confucius: Reconstructing the Ancient Chinese Philosophy in the Post-Mao China’. New Delhi, Manohar, 2022. 385pp. Rs. 1,995.00

Prof K Warikoo

Kashi Ram Sharma, ‘The Third Birth of Confucius: Reconstructing the Ancient Chinese Philosophy in the Post-Mao China’. New Delhi, Manohar, 2022. 385pp. Rs. 1,995.00Confucius has made a remarkable comeback in China. As the author emphasizes, “Confucius and Confucianism is in the blood of every Chinese. It is their DNA.”So the book by a renowned Indian Sinologist with long experience and expertise in the field of Chinese studies, and who has relied on Chinese and other primary sources, on the Chinese sage and philosopher Confucius and his legacies, is very timely and valuable.

July 25, 2022 Books/Book Review