International Talkies

The Department of International Studies, Political Science and History organised a guest lecture on 27th July on the topic of  History of Manga Art in Japan  as part of the Continental Catch Lecture series. The guest speaker of the day was Dr. Ronald Stewart, an Australian professor working in the Department of Sociology, Daito Bunka University, Japan. He is also a well-known historian and a critical analyst of Manga Art and has published various books and news columns on manga art in noted publications. He is also the founding member of the Comic Studies Society (CSS) and is a long-term member of the Japan Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics. He was connected to the audience via videoconferencing through Cisco Webex. He spoke to the audience about the history and evolution of Manga art in Japan. He started with basic information on Manga, followed by an introduction to Tezuka Osamu, who is considered the 'Father of Manga'. He classified Manga History into three phases-

The Consulate General of the United States, Chennai, in collaboration with the Center for East Asian Studies and the Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, organized the “South Asia and Indo-Pacific: The Way Forward” lecture. The program started with the welcome address by Dr. Madhumati Deshpande, thanking the Ambassador for his acceptance to deliver an insightful lecture and introduced him to the audience. The program then commenced by shedding light on the various issues highlighted by the Ambassador in the Indo-Pacific region. The role of the United States in forming the QUAD and its thought on the “Freedom of navigation” on the seas was the main focus. The ambassador quoted several instances where the Chinese Army is being a threat not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in the South Asian region, and is of focus for the United States on security matters. The prospects of future relations with other countries in South Asia and the Pacific rim were discuss