Open Seminar “South Asia in the Indo-Pacific: An Overview”

As China's presence and assertiveness intensify in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the South Asian region is growing extremely important. Comprised of eight nations - the South Asian region entails countries that neighbor China in the Himalayas and host vital sea lines of communications in the Indian Ocean. It is this importance that, in the first place, compelled China to make inroads in the region by undermining  India's long--prevalent dominance in the region. But China's increasing inroads are now witnessing a pushback from India and other non-resident powers, dragging the region into an evolving great power competition.  On their part, South Asian countries are also realizing their growing importance and are attempting to balance these powers to further their interests. Against this backdrop, this lecture positions South Asia in the Indo-Pacific; offers insights into relevant and new players, and explains how South Asian countries are responding to this increasing competition. Dr.

Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy is an Associate Fellow with Observer Research Foundation's Strategic Studies Programme. He focuses on broader strategic and security-related developments throughout the South Asian region with a specific interest in Sri Lanka, The Maldives, and Bhutan. Aditya graduated with an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2019. His writings have been featured in Foreign Policy, The Hindu, Economic Times, Hindustan Times, The Statesman, The Strait Times, and South Asian Voices, among other Indian and Sri Lankan news outlets. He has also written for peer-reviewed journals.

Date: May 21, 2024

Time: 18:00 PM, Moscow time zone

Language: English

Format: Online, Jitsi - link

Concerning all questions, please contact Dr. Nivedita Kapoor, kapoor.nivedita@gmail.com

This event is an output of a research project “South Asia and the Challenges of Global Politics”, implemented as part of the HSE University Project Group Competition at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs.