EVENTS

Ever since Edward Luttwak highlighted the significance of geo-economics, much attention has been devoted to understanding the interface between geo-economics and geopolitics. The narrative of the “Asian Century’ has further expanded the scope of this interface. It has facilitated the consolidation of a pan-Asian economic space, marked by competition and cooperation. On the one hand, multilateral regional dynamics that encourages regional value chains, and on the other hand, the meteoric rise of China, which has also found expression in its economic and military policies, have been responsible for consolidating the Asian economic space. The Belt and Road Initiative is a singular example of the magnitude at which China can play a critical role in consolidating and integrating regional economic spaces and thus furthering its own interests. South and Southeast Asia, due to geographical contiguity, display a complex mosaic of the interplay of geopolitical and geo-economic factors ranging from institutional engagement to connectivity projects. This Wednesday Seminar presentation will focus on the regionalisation of the BRI in Southeast Asia through regional arrangements and projects.

Speaker

Ishani Naskar is Professor at the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata . Previously she has served as professor at the Department of Political Science, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. She has been visiting faculty at Gourbanga University Malda, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol and Institute of Foreign Policy Studies, University of Kolkata. She was a visiting fellow at the Centre for Himalayan Studies in North Bengal University. She has worked on Indian foreign policy issues, particularly focusing on Act East, sub-regionalism, the Indo Pacific, cultural diplomacy and China. Recently she represented India at the 2025 Asia-Europe Large River Regional Dialogue, at Shanghai. Some of her writings include Act East Policy and Strengthening Cultural with ASEAN (Routledge 2018); The Impact of Resettlement on Bhutanese Refugees: A Critical Reflection (Springer 2022); Free and Open Indo-Pacific, A Rule Based Order: A Reality Check (Bharati Publication 2023); Teaching International Relations through e-VBAB in ASEAN: Some Thoughts on Engaging Public Universities (Routledge 2024);, and Neoliberalism, Geoeconomics and the Chinese Reality: The BRI Experience in Southeast Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, June 2024). She is the editor of the West Bengal Political Science Review. She is also heading the Hariprasanna Centre for India China Cultural Studies, Jadavpur University.

Chair

Priyabala Singh is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Kalindi College, University of Delhi. Her academic training is rooted at the University of Delhi, where she earned her BA (Hons.) in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, followed by MA, MPhil, and PhD from the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. Adding a significant interdisciplinary dimension to her profile, Dr. Singh recently completed a second Master’s degree in History from HES, Harvard University in 2025. Her primary research interests lie within international relations and global politics, with a particular focus on South Asia, West Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, and themes of peace and conflict, terrorism, and security. Her research trajectory demonstrates a deep engagement with critical security and geopolitical issues.

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