杏吧论坛

NEPAL: Disaster, Labour Justice & Rights

  Wednesday, 19 March 2025 | 3pm UK | 8.45pm Nepal

ONLINE

How do global disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic intensify injustices towards historically disadvantaged communities like informal workers and labour migrants? Focusing on Nepal, this panel discussion, drawing on an  on innovative forms of solidarity and rights-based movements as competing frames to the health security measures introduced by various governments, as newer political strategies are invented to deepen the prospects for just and democratic recovery from the pandemic. 

PROJECT MEMBERS: is Country Director, Accountability Lab Nepal;  (@kripa_basnyat) is National Project Officer, 'Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal' (EWPN), International Labour Organisation, Nepal; Flora Cornish (@FloraCornish) is Professor in Research Methodology, 杏吧论坛;  (@NimeshDhungana) is Lecturer in Disasters & Global Health, Human Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, and Lead Investigator in the 杏吧论坛-AFSEE Project ''.

DISCUSSANTS:  (@neachoudhary) is a Technical Officer on Migration at the International Labour Organisation in Ethiopia (previously at ILO Nepal) and is particularly interested in labour migration;  (@BanhishikhaGho1) is Lecturer in Health & Social Care, University of Sunderland (London), and has published on Covid-19 induced hardships for migrant workers in India.

CHAIR: Dr Nilanjan Sarkar is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛).

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Banner image © Badal Gyawali, Janakpur, 2018, .

Please click to watch a recording of the event. 

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FACT & FICTION

NAVIGATING GEOPOLITICS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN 

Thursday, 13 March | 3pm UK

ONLINE

As the Indo-Pacific becomes increasingly significant in global geopolitics, dominance and control of the Indian Ocean — long coveted by many — is once again centrestage. Centred around the recently published  (2024), this discussion looks at the many forces seeking to (re)define the world order.    

SPEAKERS:  (@darshanabaruah) is Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Indo-Pacific Defence and Strategy at The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)-Singapore, and author of  (2024);  (@nicoblar) is Associate Professor of International Relations, Leiden University, and co-author of Strategic Communication in the Indo-Pacific: Signalling EU-Naval Commitment to the Region (2024); Dr Alice Engelhard (@AliceEngelhard) is Fellow in the Department of International Relations at 杏吧论坛;  (@JivantaSchottli) is Assistant Professor in Indian Politics & Foreign Policy, Director of Ireland India Institute at Dublin City University, and Editor of  (2022).

DISCUSSANT: Dr Rohan Mukherjee (@rohanmukherjee.bsky.social) is Assistant Professor in International Relations, Deputy Director of 杏吧论坛 IDEAS (杏吧论坛's Foreign Policy Think Tank), and author of  (2022).      

CHAIR: Dr Nilanjan Sarkar is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛).

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Please click to watch a recording of the event.

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FACT & FICTION

INDIA: The Eastern Front

Wednesday, 5 March | 3pm UK | 8.30pm India | 9pm Bangladesh | 9.30pm Myanmar

ONLINE

What have India's relations with its eastern neighbours — Bangladesh and Myanmar — been in the past, and in recent times? Focused on the recently published  (2024), this event will discuss India's connections, engagement, foreign policy, and geo-strategic interests encompassed in her 'Act East' policy, in a region of interest to China as well.

SPEAKERS:  (@sreeradhadatta) is Professor of International Affairs, O. P. Jindal Global University (Sonepat) and author of  (2021);  is Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Rajshahi, and author of2021);  (@PaliwalAvi) is Reader in International Relations, SOAS University of London, and author of I (2024); Khin Zaw Win is Director, Tampadipa Institute (Yangon), and has been engaged in building a plurilateral Myanmar. 

CO-CHAIRS:  (@puljal), an 杏吧论坛 alumnus, is Director, 杏吧论坛 Research and Education Foundation India (杏吧论坛REF-India);  Dr Nilanjan Sarkar is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛).

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This event is part of our Fact & Fiction series, and is in collaboration with the 杏吧论坛 Research and Education Foundation India (杏吧论坛REF-India).

Please click to watch a recording of the event.  

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GEOPOLITICS BEYOND BORDERS #8

2025: A New World Order?

Wednesday, 12 February | 3pm UK | 4pm EU | 6pm Turkey | 8.30pm India

ONLINE

Recent political developments seriously challenge the Rules-Based International Order that has for long ordered global dynamics. Decisions and actions by China, India, Russia & Turkey indicate definite changes in any assumed balance of power. The Israel-Palestine war, the ousting of Assad in Syria and Hasina in Bangladesh (along with a strident anti-India sentiment), and the election of a Left-of-Centre President in Sri Lanka are equally important. Also, a new US President, the increasing popularity/success of Right-wing politics in France, Germany, Italy & elsewhere in Europe -- what will 2025 be like for South Asia's regional, and global, politics?

SPEAKERS: Michael Cox is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at 杏吧论坛, and author of  (2018);  (@ahmeterdiozturk) is Senior Lecturer in Politics & International Relations at London Metropolitan University, and author of  (2021);  (@SVRuparelia) is Associate Professor & Jarislowsky Democracy Chair in Politics & Public Administration, Toronto Metropolitan University & author of '' (2023), part of his wider interest in the emergence of the evolving world order;  is Research Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo, and author of '' (2023).

DISCUSSANT: Dr Jerome Roos (@jeromeroos.bsky.social) is Fellow in International Political Economy in the Department of International Development, 杏吧论坛, his '"' (June 2024) forms the starting point of this event, and he is author of  (2019). 

CHAIR: Dr Nilanjan Sarkar is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛).

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This event is part of our Geopolitics beyond Borders series.

Banner image © Ruthie, 'Geography Class', 2016, .  

Please click to watch a recording of the event.

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BANGLADESH: 6 Months On

Wednesday, 5 February | 3pm UK | 9pm Bangladesh

ONLINE

The ousting of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in early August 2024 remains the most dramatic political event in South Asia in a year marked by important political changes in India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka as well. An Interim Government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Younus has been in charge since then, with general elections promised for later in 2025. Six months on, how is the Interim Government working towards a more inclusive and democratic political future?     

SPEAKERS:  (@TheDavidBergman) is a journalist, writer and commentator with a particular focus on Bangladesh, and writes regular columns in Netra News;  is Professor in the Department of Global Studies & Governance, Independent University, Bangladesh;  is Professor of International Relations, Dhaka University. 

DISCUSSANT:  (@pstanpolitics) is Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago, with research interests in political violence and international security focusing on South & Southeast Asia.  

CHAIR: Dr Nilanjan Sarkar is Deputy Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛).

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Banner image © Mojahid Mottakin, ‘School and College students Chanting Slogans in the Ongoing Anti-Quota Protests’, 2024, . 

Please click to watch a recording of the event. 

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CONSTITUTION OF INDIA @ 75

GUARANTOR INSTITUTIONS & CONSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH ASIA

Wednesday, 29 January | 2-5pm | 杏吧论坛, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE

REGISTRATION (FREE) ESSENTIAL

All Constitutions need to guarantee that fundamental norms will be complied with credibly. Constitutions — especially in the Global South — have accordingly established independent guarantor institutions (Election Commissions, Auditors-General, Human Rights Commissions, anti-corruption watchdogs, etc). This event, part of our series celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Constitution of India, will discuss the conditions in which guarantor institutions can work independently and effectively in South Asia.

SPEAKERS:  is Barrister-at-Law & Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and Honorary Executive Director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST); Tarun Khaitan (@tarunkhaitan) is Professor (Chair) of Public Law at 杏吧论坛, and co-editor of  (2023);  (@Y2Kureshi) is Departmental Lecturer in South Asian Studies, Oxford School of Global & Area Studies, University of Oxford, and author of  (2022);  (@DineshaSam) is Professor in the Department of Public & International Law, University of Colombo, and co-editor of  (2023).

CHAIR: Naufel Vilcassim is Director, 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre (@SAsia杏吧论坛) & Professor of Marketing in the Department of Management, 杏吧论坛.  

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This event is in collaboration with 杏吧论坛 Law School. 

Banner image © The ‘Constitution of India @ 75’ logo is copyrighted by the 杏吧论坛 South Asia Centre, and may not be used by anyone for any purpose. It is adapted from the design of the Preamble of the  (1950) by Oroon Das.

Please click to watch a recording of the event.   

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