International Talkies

Lyceum, the postgraduate students’ association of the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) will be conducting an online quiz competition—UNravel— to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Organisation. The online quiz will be held on January 11th, 2021 from 2 to 4 pm. The theme of the quiz will be the UN. Participants interested in the quiz have to take part in a team of two. Further instructions regarding the quiz will be shared with the participants upon completing the registration process. The top three teams in the finals will be awarded prize money. 1. 1st Prize- Rs 1500/- 2. 2nd Prize- Rs 1000/- 3. 3rd Prize- Rs 500/- Some General Instructions: 1. Video camera/webcam to be compulsorily switched on at all times 2. Audio option to be enabled, chat box option or personally communicating with the teammate will not be allowed 3. Must adhere to all the rules and regulations given out by the Quiz Masters o...

Department of International Studies,Political Science and History in collaboration with Institute of Chinese Studies and Harvard Yenching Institute organised a webinar on the doctoral fellowship offered by ICS-HYI.In collaboration with the Harvard Yenching Institute (HYI), the ICS inaugurated the Institute of Chinese Studies-Harvard Yenching Institute (ICS-HYI) Joint Scholarship for Doctoral Research in January 2014. Two scholarships for a period of five years each, are awarded to selected candidates, enrolled in the doctoral Programme in Indian universities. In the first year the selected candidate would strengthen Chinese language capabilities in India and thereafter spend one year in a Chinese university and the third year at the HYI in the United States. The recipients of the scholarship work across disciplines and are based in different universities in India. In the panel discussion, the panelists shared their journey as recipients of the prestigious fellowship and how it has help...

The Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University) hosted the webinar ‘UN in 75 years: Contribution to World Peace’ to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The event kickstarted with the welcome address by Dr Madhumati Deshpande, Coordinator, Department of International Studies, Political Science and History. Two keynote speeches were delivered by the dignitaries Ambassador TP Sreenivasan and Ambassador Dilip Sinha, who spoke at length on the role of the UN and its shortcomings followed by a fruitful Question answer session with the audience. Ambassador TP Sreenivasan in his enlightening talk began by highlighting the successes of the UN, but also pointed out the shortcomings in its effective functioning. Mr Sreenivasan spoke about India’s relations with the United Nations and its contribution to the efforts of the UN. He threw light upon the UN’s role in peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace enforcement efforts i...

Dr Ray’s presentation was centred around the primary question: Does Africa’s engagement with emerging powers impact the democratization process in Africa. She agrees with the narrative of the previous presenters that there has been an upsurge in the democratic activities with the third wave of democracy sweeping Africa. Dr Ray also points out the initiatives taken by the regional organization such as the African Union for bringing in political reforms despite the presence of authoritarianism in many African countries. She also highlights the role of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development), which is a collective effort by the African Countries in bringing about democratization and constitutional values in Africa. This effort of the NEPAD has been successful to the extent where many Heads of States in Africa have demitted offices and brought in democratization peacefully. Dr Ray claims that there is a trend emerging where the number of authoritarian regimes is decreasing and bac...

Dr Singh's talk focuses on the writings of Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist. In his novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe gives the African perspective of many ideas which serve as a counter to the European notions. He asserts that Africa, till now has been viewed through the European perspective, and it is necessary to understand Africa from the perspective of the Africans. He then speaks about Achebe’s novel A Man of the People, which portrays democratic processes in Nigeria through a satirical lens. Dr Singh believes that the conditions for democracy in Africa are obsolete. According to him, the economic conditions of a State must be stable for democracy to be effective. He further points out that the European countries were able to bring in a lot of wealth into their countries through colonization and then introduce democracy which has flourished in these countries. According to him, Democracy is a privilege of the rich nations which have already stocked up on wealth. In man...

The “ANTI-BLACK RACISM AND SLAVERY in the modern Indian Ocean” webinar was conducted by the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University) in collaboration with the Harpur College, Binghamton University (New York). The event was inaugurated by Dr Nancy Um, and the welcome address was given by Fraddy Mujuru, Research Scholar at the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University) The Keynote lecture was given by Nathaniel Mathews, Assistant Professor, Africana Studies Binghamton University. The lecture began by defining the Indian Ocean World and slavery. The talk also highlighted the significance of the Indian Ocean region. Mr Mathews then elucidated as to how slavery was dominant in the medieval history of the Indian Ocean World. He further spoke about slavery in the Indian Ocean in the nineteenth century. He spoke at length on the question as to why and how does a link solidify ...

Dr Zambara starts his talk by quoting Barack Obama, who said that Africa does not need strongmen, but it needs strong institutions. This was said by President Obama in his speech to the Parliament of Ghana in 2009. Dr Zambara articulates the importance of strong institutions for Africa’s development and also adds that it is the combination of strong leaders and along with strong institutions that result in the prosperity of a region. He then sets out to explain pre-colonial Africa, where he disagrees with the historians who categorize pre-colonial Africa as pre-historic Africa and that the history of Africa started with the advent of the Europeans in Africa. He highlights how the European colonizers divided Africa among themselves in 1884 and 1885 at the Berlin Conference hosted by Otto von Bismarck, and no African leader was invited. The borders that exist in Africa today are relics of colonial legacy and the potential of Africa to exist as a single country was there. He points out t...

Mr Muzamwese’s presentation was unique and interesting. He started the presentation by defining Globalization in his own words: meeting of minds from different parts of the world. Africa is endowed with rich stock of natural resources: be it minerals, water, precious stones, wildlife or fertile land. He adds that the African countries rely heavily on the natural resources for their sustenance and the needs of each African country is different from the other. He raises some intriguing questions like Is globalization good for Africa; How can Africa benefit from globalization and What are the risks and benefits of globalization for Africa. Speaking on the benefits, Mr Muzamwese says that Africa can benefit from the transfer of technology from the developed world, that would help the African nations to address environmental challenges. On the risks of globalization, he believes that it is used as a tool to usurp Africa's natural resources. Mr Muzamwese further asserts that the gover...

The Department of International Studies, Political Science hosted a webinar on the topic of Globalization as a tool of democracy in Africa. The welcoming speech was given by Lakshmi Karlekar and Aneetta Thomas in which they introduced the six speakers for the webinar. This webinar started with the first speaker Mr Mujuru, who spoke on how the democratization process was felt and perceived very differently in different parts of Africa and that a part of that perception is that globalization is the evil that is the root cause of all their problems. The reality of the situation, however, Mr Mujuru believes that the negligence of the leaders is the root of this problem, which has made Africa and its people helpless in a certain way. Africa has a choice to get democratized and it can do so by not being too reliant on foreign aid and embrace mechanisation and invest in themselves. Dr Webster Zambara followed as the second speaker and he based his talk on the historical consequences of colo...

Mr Fradreck begins his talk by throwing light on the third wave of Democratisation, a concept given by Samuel P Huntington. He speaks about the factors that were responsible for the spread of democracy and globalisation in Africa which are dictators losing their legitimacy to rule, the emergence of the catholic church with an emphasis on moral values and the role played by the US and EU in spreading democracy. He opines that Africa has been a victim of globalisation and that globalisation has not benefitted Africa. He substantiates by giving instance as to how African nations face unfair competition at the WTO. Mr Fradreck says that the rules of the WTO have been inequitable to the African Nations. He points out that the developing nations have been increasing their presence in Africa under the banner of globalisation, and this has led to the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources. According to him, there exists a lot of instability in Africa because of maladministration. From 196...

Aneetta Thomas Peedikayil The Prize Announcement Ceremony of the National Level Essay Writing Competition was held by the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University) in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on November 11, 2020. The competition was conducted to commemorate India’s 73 years of independence and its stellar achievements in world politics. The Essay competition marked the beginning of the collaboration between Christ (Deemed to be University) and ICWA, attracting 150+ entries in the Undergraduate and Postgraduate sections under the English and Kannada categories. The entries were perused anonymously by four judges given the painstaking efforts of the volunteers from the department to maintain the participants’ anonymity. Dr Madhumati Deshpande, Coordinator, Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, Christ (Deemed to be University) kickstarted the session with the w...

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in collaboration with Katholieke Universiteit at Leuven, Belgium, convened a lecture series for students of History in October, 2020, aimed at exploring themes of post-colonial/subaltern theory and experience. The second of the two parts of the lecture series, held on 12th October, 2020, 7AM onward in Belgian time and 10:30AM onward in Indian time, was delivered by Dr Idesbald Goddeeris, a Belgian academician and professor of History at KU Leuven. The lecture titled ‘Post Colonial Memories’ was complemented by a captivating visual presentation. It was followed by Q&A and an exchange of observations and opinions. Professor Goddeeris set out to articulate Belgian independence from the Dutch in 1830, and the arrival of Belgium as a colonizer in the world stage. He spoke about how King Leopold II of Belgium bargained at the Berlin Conference (1884-85) to acquire private ownership over what came to be known as the Congo Free State (1885-1908), though a...

P. Aneetta Thomas The “UN in 75 years: Contribution to World Peace” webinar was hosted by the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed-to-be) University to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UN on 24th October 2020. The event kickstarted with the welcome address by Dr. Madhumati Deshpande, Department Coordinator. Two keynote speeches were delivered by the dignitaries Ambassador TP Sreenivasan and Ambassador Dilip Sinha who spoke at length on the role of the UN and its shortcomings followed by a fruitful Q&A with the audience. Ms. Fwu Hui Qi and Mr. Sim Yu Kang both students at Singapore University of Social Sciences extensively explained Singapore’s engagements with the UN. Mr. Nishit Jogi and Ms. Pratikshya Subedi both students at Christ (Deemed-to-be) University on the other hand highlighted Africa and Asia’s perspectives with respect to the UN. Dr. N. Koiremba Singh, the moderator for the session also threw light on the importance...

The Department of International Studies, Political Science and History is introducing a series of monthly webinars to enable our students to catch-up with the current events in every continent. The continents identified are Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas. One current issue is taken for each month to organize a talk by an expert in that area. The first webinar as a part of Continental Catch webinar series is on the topic Globalization as a tool of Democracy in Africa. Democratic globalization supports the extension of political democratization to economic and financial globalization. Globalization – broadly defined as the integration of economic activity across national borders – is widely perceived to be at a crossroad. Its long-acknowledged benefits to economic growth, poverty reduction, and consumers’ access to varied goods at lower prices, have given way to growing public scepticism to foreign trade, out of concerns with job losses, de-industrialization, and inequality. The we...

Aswathy K It takes courage to open the newspaper every day. New horrors which demoralize in every way. The future is bleak, the present burning, The past remolded to fit current yearning. It take a piece of my soul every time I touch it. It erodes my will, sanity and wit. Yet I carry on for one reason alone. Those who ignore condone The actions which paint my front page red And don’t question the lies we are fed. So inform yourself and speak up, Don’t be on the wrong side of history and be wise. The world is a dark place, Don’t make it darker by closing your eyes.

Nishit Jogi Organized jointly by KAS (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung), TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), NMF (National Maritime Foundation) and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), this diginar marked the beginning of the Quadrilateral series on Blue Economy. The Blue Economy is a relatively new concept that has been in the crosshairs of Indian Maritime Organisations (both Governmental and Non-governmental) since the start of the new governmental term in 2014. Closely linked with this is the concept of Holistic Maritime Security that can serve to provide a legal framework and logistical support to the undertakings for Blue Economy. This diginar dealt with those aspects. The diginar consisted of two sessions: the first one dealing with the conceptual understanding of Holistic Maritime Security and the second one dealing with the linkages that can be formed between Holistic Maritime Security and Blue Economy. As put by Mr. Peter Rimmele—the head of KAS, I...

International Association of Political Science Students (IAPSS) organised the UN75 consultation in partnership with UN75, UN2020, and SDG Impact Awards to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nation’s founding. The event was conducted in the form of Two consultations. 1. Youth, Peace & Security (Middle East) on 2nd September 2020 2. Youth & Civic Engagement (Pan-Asia) on 8th September 2020 I was bestowed with the opportunity to volunteer at this initiative. The event emphasized upon the areas of young people’s participation in politics (students and electoral), leadership and community involvement; aiming to question the vitality of the existing system of education. It was based on the collective agreement that, the youth can serve as a gateway for broader engagement in finding solutions to local and global concerns like fighting injustice, checking on access to political power, peace building, political activism, and educating the existing and future communities....

  Anchal Bhowmick and Jogita Rajbongshi The Skill Development sub-committee on Media under the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History organized the Career Skills Series Talk by Deepak Sharma, Broadcast Journalist of the BBC World Service since 2017 on Career Opportunities in Media under the esteemed guidance of Dr. Manoharan N. The session started with a brief introduction of the guest speaker Deepak Sharma by Dr. Manoharan N followed by the lecture of the speaker himself who touched upon the various opportunities in the field of journalism. He highlighted the various branches of the media which are primarily the mainstream media and the alternative media and what skills are best suited for pursuing career in this field. His talk was optimistic as he quoted figures from the internationally recognized surveys which show positive career growth opportunities in the media. The speaker also focused on the ever-widening scope of media through the alternative...

The Department of International Studies, Political Science and History organised Career Skill Series. The Career Skills Series began with a wonderful and an enlightening start with a lecture on ‘Career Opportunities in NGOs and INGOs organized by the Skill Development Committee on Foreign Missions and NGO’s. The speaker for the event Rev. Kennedy Dhanabalan, Incoming Executive Director, Serve Afghanistan, was gracious enough to educate the students of MAIS (Master of Arts in International Studies) on the functional aspects of NGOs while enlisting in great detail the career opportunities available to them. His comprehensive and nuanced coverage of issues on NGOs and INGOs did not leave an iota of doubt amongst the students. The talks revolved around the framework of an NGO, their work portfolios and available job opportunities to the students. The most notable aspect of the talk was the incorporation of entry points in NGOs which had often confounded the students as to the route tak...

 Reported by Lakshmi Karlekar The Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed to be University)   in collaboration with National institute of Advanced Studies, IISC, IPRI network, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Mysore University, Stella Maris College, Jain University, Kristu Jayanti College and Pondicherry University conducted a guest lecture on Jammu and Kashmir Today- One year after the removal of Article 370 by Dr Amitabh Matoo, Professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Dr D Suba Chandran, Dr Madhumati Deshpande, Dr Manoharan N, Dr Bharati Hillmath, Dr Subramanyam Raju and Dr Pankaj Madan. Dr Suba Chandran, Dean of International Relations at National Institute of Advanced Studies Indian Institute of Science welcomed Dr Amitabh Mattoo, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr Pankaj gave a note on Dr Amitabh Mattoo’s profile. Dr Amitabh Mattoo, an expert into Jammu and Kashmir politics both from t...

                                                                                                                    THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HISTORY IN COLLABORATION WITH INDIAN COUNCIL OF WORLD AFFAIRS PRESENTS NATIONAL LEVEL ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION ON THE OCCASION OF 73rd INDEPENDENCE DAY  Last date of Submission: 25 th August 2020 We cordially invite all the undergraduate and post...

                                  With immense pleasure and happiness, we would like to inform you that the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) has signed a MoU with Ashoka University – Harvard Yenching Institute. This MoU is to build academic and research resources on China Studies and related areas as a thriving discipline. It will also enable the department to create new knowledge in India about different countries, particularly on China. The MoU will help the department to provide promising scholars studying China with the opportunity to share their work and knowledge with a wider audience through Lectures, Courses, and Publications and enhance research opportunities for young post-doctoral scholars. As per the provisions of the MoU, CHRIST will enrol and host postdoctoral fellow(s) selected through China Studies Postdoctoral...