The Office of International Affairs (OIA) of NEHU and NERC-ICSSR hosted a distinguished foreign policy lecture delivered by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev, IFS (Retd.) at NEHU today.
The theme of the lecture was entitled, “Identity Politics in South West Africa and South South Africa”: Tribal and Ethnic Factors” in which the distinguished diplomat outlined India’s perspective on claims of ethnic homelands and internecine clashes.
The lecture was presided over by Prof. Bhagirath Panda and it was commented upon by Ambassador Rudi Warjri, IFS (retired).
Ambassador Sachdev explained the impact of colonisation on Africa by major Western powers that ended up dividing boundaries and areas in an extremely divisive manner.
Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor of NEHU and the Chairman of North-East Centre of Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, Shillong acted as the chief guest and exhorted the foreign policy community of India to create grounds of synergy between ASEAN, G20 and African nations.
He emphasised the fact that the Office of International Affairs (OIA) of NEHU is facilitating closer international academic exchange that can provide opportunities to not only students and researchers but to the youth in general by creating a platform for knowledge products and service by well-trained youth from Northeastern region.
Prof. Shukla expressed his deep satisfaction at India emerging as Chair of G20 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hoped that in the coming days NEHU and North East region will find its natural traction with developing and developed countries of the world.
Ambassador Rudi Warjri, while commenting upon Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev’s work in the Gulf region and Africa pointed out to India’s accommodative and inclusive policy of not allowing African states to disintegrate in the pressure from external and internal forces, but to create conditions of peace and stability in Africa and elsewhere. India’s role in Africa, according to Warjri, received much appreciation across the board for her insightful global and democratic perspectives.
Earlier welcoming the distinguished guests, Prof. Prasenjit Biswas, on behalf of OIA expressed the hope that NEHU shall become a hub of students from foreign countries and this will help deepen Act East policy in the field of higher education.
In his concluding address, Prof. Bhagirath Panda, the honorary director of the NERC-ICSSR, further elaborated upon NEHRU’s role in setting up multilateral and multicultural collaboration in all fields of higher education so that social sciences in the region can play a significant role in building meaningful international relations.
He pointed out the immense possibility of NEHU and social sciences research in binding together South and South-East Asia and carrying forward the perspective elsewhere to understand complex strategic, economic and educational scenarios emerging in the global South.
