Abstract
"The
Soft Power of India?"
Many thinkers and writers in recent years have spoken of India's
geo-strategic advantages, its economic dynamism, political stability,
proven military capabilities, its nuclear, space and missile
programmes, and the country's growing pool of young and skilled
manpower as assuring India "great power" status as
a "world leader" in the new century. Dr Shashi Tharoor,
author and former UN Under-Secretary-General, argues that it
is not these elements that represent India's greatest potential
as it seeks to play its role in our globalizing world. Instead,
he focuses on the "soft power" of India, its attributes
and limitations and the challenges it faces, as he outlines
India? true place in Asia and the world and what it could mean
for the country's future in the 21st century.
About the
Speaker
Dr Shashi Tharoor
is Chairman of Dubai-based Afras Ventures; a prize-winning author
of ten books, both fiction and non-fiction; and a widely-published
critic, commentator and columnist (including for The Hindu,
The Times of India and Newsweek).
In 2007 he concluded a nearly 29-year
career with the United Nations, including working for refugees
in South-East Asia at the peak of the "boat people"
crisis, handling peace-keeping operations in the former Yugoslavia,
and culminating as the Under-Secretary-General for Communications
and Public Information. In 2006, he was India's candidate to
succeed Kofi Annan as UN Secretary-General, and emerged a strong
second out of seven contenders.
His books include the classic The
Great Indian Novel (1989), India: From Midnight to
the Millennium (1997), Nehru: The Invention of India
(2003), and most recently, The Elephant, the Tiger, and
the Cell phone: Reflections on 21st Century India (Fall
2007). Dr Tharoor earned his Ph.D. at the Fletcher School of
Law and Diplomacy at the age of 22, and was named by the World
Economic Forum in Davos in 1998 as a "Global Leader of
Tomorrow." He was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman,
India's highest honor for overseas Indians. [For more on Shashi
Tharoor, please see www.shashitharoor.com.]
He is married to Christa, a Canadian
who is Deputy Secretary of the United Nations Disarmament Commission,
and is the father of twin sons Ishaan and Kanishk.
Asia
Talks Lecture Series
In our drive to make Singapore an intellectual hub and contribute
to the growing prominence of the Nanyang Technological University
as one of the leading Asian Universities, AMIC, WKWSCI and RSIS
has launched a lecture series featuring eminent speakers from
Asia. "Asia Talks"
is a high profile lecture series by eminent Asian experts who
will speak on key issues and topics of concern to Asia. The
topics of this lecture series will include politics, international
relations, economic development, security, environmental sustainability,
health, education and the media.
The bi-monthly "Asia
Talks" will also be a unique forum capitalizing
on the strengths of its promoters AMIC, WKWSCI and RSIS which
are all leading institutions in their respective fields. This
will thus create a new synergy between these institutions and
provide the necessary intellectual and human resources to organize
this unique and high-profile lecture series.
Asia Talks aims to provide a voice for
Asia in the global arena. This forum will not only consist of
lectures but also round table and panel discussions on key issues
and topics on the Asian region. It will provide useful analysis
and insights into burning issues which constitute significant
challenges to Asian development. It will also provide policy
recommendations which could be useful in overcoming all these
challenges. At the end of each year, the lectures will be compiled
and edited to form a publication that will be distributed across
Asia. The lectures will constitute a useful resource for those
individuals and institutions who wish to gain a better understanding
of the issues and challenges faced by Asia.
Limited
Seating: Please Register Early! |
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Organised
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| RSVP:
Ms Ivy Alcantara Tel: 6792 7570 email: jlalcantara@amic.org.sg |
