JANUARY 2019

Dear Friend,

The Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) had an encouraging beginning to year 2019 as we organized various events and activities on China and East Asia while continuing to maintain our focussed and in-depth research on the region.

EVENTS AND Activities

We organized a special lecture titled Beyond Hubris: China and India, Before and After Reforms by Prof. Ashwai Saith, Emeritus Professor, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam on 7 January at India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi (YouTube) (SoundCloud). An presentation on Artist Xu Beihong and His Family in Mao's China by Ms. Xu Fangfang was organized on 11 January at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, where she introduced her memoir Galloping Horses (YouTube) (SoundCloud).  

A Panel Discussuion on the book, Beyond Regimes: India and China Compared, co-edited by Prof. Prasenjit Duara and Prof. Elizabeth J. Perry, published by Harvard University Press, was organized at India International Centre, New Delhi on 18 January (YouTube) (SoundCloud). The panel comprised of: Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Chairman, Advisory Board, ICS and former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary, Government of India; Prof. Prasenjit Duara, Oscar Tang Professor, Duke University, Durham, USA and Kothari Chair in Democracy, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi; Dr. TG Suresh, Associate Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; and Dr. Sonika Gupta, Associate Professor, Global Politics and China Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Dr. Suresh also has a chapter in the book, which examines construction workers in both the countries.

A two-day international conference on Vocational Education in India and China: Sharing Experiences was organised in collaboration with the India International Centre in Delhi on 23-24 January. Our Vice-Chairperson Prof. Sreemati Chakrabarti was the convenor for the conference. The conference was attended by scholars from University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur as well as  scholars from Beijing Normal University and Peking University. Further, presentations were also made by practitioners from the Ministry of Skill Development, Government of India, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Infrastucture Leasing & Financial Services.

We had three Wednesday Seminars this month. The first was on Censorship, Morality and Cultural Policy under Xi Jinping by Prof. Michel Hockx, Director, Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs (SoundCloud). The second was on The Politics of Urban Citizenship in Twentieth Century Shanghai and Mumbai by Prof. Mark Frazier, Academic Director, India China Institute, New School for Social Research, New York City, USA (SoundCloud). The last one was on Five Years of Belt and Road Initiative: An Appraisal by Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi (SoundCloud).

Publications

We published three ICS Analyses this month: China-Vatican Deal: Determining Factors and its Implications by Navreet Kullar, Research Intern, ICS; India and China in the New Situation by Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Chairman, ICS Advisory Board; and Science, Technology and Innovation in China: Lessons for India by Prof. VS Ramamurthy, National Insitute of Advanced Studies (the paper emerges from his presentation at the 11th All India Conference of China Studies at Bengaluru).

In the Media

Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, Honorary Fellow, ICS and Chairperson, Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi penned a piece for the Financial Express on the Asia Resurgence Initiative Act by the US. Our Research Assistant Mr. Uday Khanapurkar wrote for The Diplomat on a contraction in Chinese manufacturing activity. Amb. Shyam Saran, Member, ICS Governing Council and former Foreign Secretary, Government of India, wrote for the Business Standard on China’s economic slowdown.

Research Associate Dr. Gunjan Singh wrote for Vivekananda International Foundation on China’s recent moves towards Taiwan. She also published a review of Bertil Lintner’s China’s India War: Collision Course on the Roof of the World in Indian Foreign Affairs Journal. She also had a commentary on the Probable Trajectories of De-Nuclearization Talks on the Korean Peninsula for Science, Technology and Security Forum.

Visiting Research Associate Dr. Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman wrote for The Eleventh Course of the Border Bites Series of the Kyushu University Border Studies on Mizoram as a factor in India’s Act East policy.

Faculty Updates

Our Research Associate Dr. P.K. Anand began his fieldwork in Mumbai in the last week of January on Labour Relations in Leather Goods Manufacturing in India and China, as part of  the Fellowship awarded by the India China Institute, New School for Social Research, New York City, USA, under their China India Scholar Leaders Initiative. Another of our Research Associates, Dr. Veda Vaidyanathan had a paper titled 'Reimagining Engagement and Realigning Priorities: How India and China are Informing the African Growth Story' shortlisted for the World Society Foundation (Switzerland) Award for Research Papers.

I was invited to speak on ‘US-China Trade, Technology and Strategic Contestation’ at the keynote session of the annual CommonWealth Economic Forum organized by Tianxia magazine at Taipei, Taiwan on 15-16 January 2019. I also spoke on ‘BRI: Will the Pushback to China Succeed?’ at the 10th ‘Jumbo’ Majumdar International Conference organised by Centre for Air Powers Studies, New Delhi on 31 January. Earlier, on 11 January, I conducted a fascinating interactive session on the South China Sea issue with young Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainees at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi.

The ICS Website, Facebook and Twitter accounts are among the several ways you can get the latest on our publications and activities. You can also subscribe our monthly newsletter to follow our events and publications as well as browse our YouTube and SoundCloud channels.

I look forward to seeing you at more of our events.

 
 
 
Best Regards,
Ashok K. Kantha
Director
Institute of Chinese Studies
 
 


 

© Institute of Chinese Studies, 8/17, Sri Ram Road, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, India
Tel: +91-11-23938202 | E-mail: info@icsin.org | Web: http://www.icsin.org