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The India Center Hosts ‘An Evening with Kal Penn’
The India Center at UCF welcomed actor, writer, producer and public servant Kal Penn for a book reading and discussion on Sept. 26, 2022. Associate Dean Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., interim director of the India Center, and Leila Chacko, director of public affairs of the India Center, welcomed the speaker and the audience of approximately 300 […]
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‘Son of a Sweeper’ Documentary Screening and Discussion
By ARIANNA LESTRADE The India Center at UCF hosted Vimal Kumar, Ph.D., for an in-person screening and discussion of the documentary film Son of a Sweeper on Sept. 13, 2022. The film, made by Professor Lisa Mills, Ph.D., an India Center affiliate faculty member, highlights the work of Kumar, founder of the nongovernmental organization Movement […]
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Experts Share Insights on U.S.-India Trade
By Kassidy Menk In the Spring semester, the India Center hosted Atman Trivedi, senior vice president at Albright Stonebridge Group and non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council in a virtual discussion titled “D.C. to Delhi: Charting the Course of U.S.-India Trade Relations.” James Bacchus, distinguished university professor of global affairs and director of […]
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Medical Experts in India and the U.S. Discuss Covid-19 Response
In April 2022, the India Center hosted a discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic response in India and the U.S. Associate Professor Varadraj Gurupur, Ph.D., from UCF’s School of Global Health Management and Informatics led a panel discussion with Dr. Anuradha Pichumani, executive director of the Sree Renga Hospital, and Dr. Amitha Marla, medical administrator of […]
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Indian Visitors Discuss Future Collaboration, Student Exchange Over Lunch
On May 13, the India Center welcomed Principal Binoy Joseph, Ph.D. and Vice Principal Fr. Saju Madavan, Ph.D. from the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, in Kochi, India. Rajagiri College, located in the southwest state of Kerala in India, opened in 1955 with a social work certificate program. It has grown to seven departments with […]
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Indian Journalism Documentary Screened At Panel Discussion
On March 25, the India Center at UCF partnered with the Global Peace Film Festival and WUCF for an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening of the Academy Award-nominated feature documentary film Writing with Fire. The goal of Indie Lens Pop-Up is to bring people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations through partnering with local […]
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India’s Space Policy Focus of Recent Event
By Kassidy Menk The India Center hosted Rajeswari (Raji) Rajagopalan, Ph.D., director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi in a virtual discussion titled “Launching Further: A Discussion on India’s Space Policy” on March 2, 2022. Brendan Byrne ’13, space reporter at WMFE, moderated the event. Attendees […]
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India Republic Day Recognized With Music, Poetry Reading
By Kassidy Menk On Jan. 28, 2022, the India Center at UCF in collaboration with the Indian Student Association (ISA) hosted a Republic Day celebration. Republic Day in India is a national holiday celebrating the day the Indian Constitution came into effect on Jan. 26, 1950. The event featured a poetry reading by Vidhu Aggarwal, […]
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A land of music and colorful festivals
Story by Jheff Mathis The India Center and the Indian Student Association held an event to celebrate India’s Republic Day at the College of Sciences on Friday, 28, 2022. The event featured special guests, such as Dr. Vidhu Aggarwal, who read poems from her book, and Pandit Nandkishor Muley, an Indian Music professor at […]
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Indian students, faculty celebrate Republic Day with colorful festivities
The India Center and the Indian Student Association collaborated on Friday to celebrate India’s Republic Day. India celebrated its 73rd constitution anniversary on Wednesday, and the Indian community at UCF did not let this date go unnoticed. They commemorated this historic and memorable day with traditional food, live Indian music and a special guest who […]
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The India Center at UCF Hosts a Discussion on Sustainability in Indian States
By Kassidy Menk A discussion of sustainability efforts by Indian states was led Nov. 18, 2021, by Neelima Jain of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. UCF’s Naveen Eluru, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, moderated the event by facilitating a discussion and prompting audience questions. Jain explained […]
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The India Center Hosts Emerging Artist Festival
The second annual Emerging Artist Festival, hosted in partnership between the Asian Cultural Association and the India Center at UCF, took place November 12, 2021 at the downtown UCF campus. The festival featured a short film competition with entries submitted by filmmakers from the United States and India. The goal of the festival is to […]
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The India Center Celebrates Diwali
Diwali, or the festival of lights, is celebrated to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated by various faiths, including most Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists around the world, over a period of 1 to 5 days. Many families decorate their homes and places […]
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India Center Welcomes Intern
UCF Junior Kassidy Menk is the Fall 2021 India Center Intern in cooperation with UCF’s Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII). Menk, a Burnett Honors College student and Sigma Alpha Pi Leadership Honor Society Member, is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. On being the India Intern, Menk states: “I am honored to have […]
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Future of U.S. and India Relations Focus of Recent Talk
BY: KASSIDY MENK The India Center hosted Milan Vaishnav, Ph.D., director and senior fellow of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in a virtual discussion titled “Crucial Partners: The Future of U.S. – India Relations” on October 15, 2021. Nikola Mirilovic, Ph.D., associate professor in UCF’s School of Politics, Security, […]
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Students Find Friendships, Culture In Indian Student Association
Students hunting for a deeper understanding of Indian culture can find it in the Indian Student Association (ISA). Established as a non-profit in 1995, the ISA promotes the goals of preserving and spreading the cultures and practices of India. Some of the avenues for this include hosting events celebrating traditional Indian holidays like Garba, Diwali […]
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India Center Welcomes New Director of Public Affairs
The India Center has witnessed exciting changes just this past month, and is delighted to introduce Leila Chacko, the India Center’s Director of Public Affairs. Leila is the India Center’s first full-time staff member and you can find her in the India Center’s new office (Chemistry 117). An Orlando native and licensed attorney, Leila brings […]
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Faculty Film Shot in India Makes its World Premiere at Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
A documentary film about efforts to enhance education for the children of India’s sweeper communities will make its world premiere this month at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Lisa Mills, Ph.D., associate professor of Film in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, wrote and directed Son of a Sweeper. The 30 minute film […]
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Virtual Film Festival Offers Exposure for Emerging Artists
The Inaugural Emerging Artist Film Festival, hosted in partnership between the Asian Cultural Association and the UCF India Center, took place in September, 2020, and featured short films from around the world. The goal of the festival was to give emerging artists a platform to showcase their work, without any restrictions or guidelines for submissions […]
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‘Politics of Security’ Focus of Virtual India Center Conference
The India Center hosted a conference on “The Politics of Security in India: Progress and Challenges” during the month of October. The conference took place virtually as a series of three panels that featured international experts from academia and think tanks to discuss international, domestic and human security issues in India. Security constitutes a […]
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Indian American Business Association Proves Valuable Ally to India Center
Community partners play a pivotal role in advancing the mission of the India Center at UCF, including the Indian-American Business Association and Chamber (IABA). IABA President Prashant “Peter” Patel said expanding public knowledge and scholarship of India are just two of the shared goals between his organization and the India Center. More recently, though, IABA’s […]
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Indian Viewpoints on Conflict Resolution Focus of Two New Books
The enduring legacy of non-violent conflict resolution championed by two prominent Indian thinkers is the focus of two new books by Adjunct Professor Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra, Ph.D. The first is titled “Gandhi and the World,” and it explores the question: “Is it possible to generate Gandhian optimism in nonviolent methods to address conflicts in the […]
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Indian Visitors Stranded By Pandemic Find Ally In India Center Partner
A community thrives off unity. This is the philosophy lived by Kannan Srinivasan ’96 MS, CEO of Global KTech and an affiliate of the UCF India Center. When the global pandemic left Indian citizens stranded in Florida, Srinivasan did not hesitate to help them return home safely. “We had multiple organizations and wonderful leaders from […]
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Omelia Dhanraj Named Spring 2020 India Fellow
Omelia Dhanraj is the Spring 2020 India Fellow for the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives. She is a senior at the University of Central Florida pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in human services. Dhanraj is a member of the Burnett Honors College and a tutor for Orange County Public […]
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India Center names senior as Fall 2019 India Fellow
Senior Monica Foster is the Fall 2019 India Fellow for the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII), in cooperation with the India Center. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, with a minor in Religion and Cultural Studies, as well as Creative Writing. Foster is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor […]
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Film Screening Launches Diversity Studies Track
The UCF India Center, in conjunction with the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (Diversity Studies), the College of Undergraduate Studies and the Asian Cultural Association (ACA), was pleased to host the opening film of the ACA’s 25th Annual South Asian Film Festival. The film, Girija: A Life Time in Music, explores the career of renowned vocalist Girija […]
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Seema Shekhawat Joins India Center as a Fellow
The India Center welcomes Seema Shekhawat, Ph.D., as a Fellow. Shekhawat is a social scientist with a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Jammu in India. Her doctoral work focused on the intersection of gender, conflict and displacement in Kashmir. Her research and teaching interests include conflict, peace and gender, and […]
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$1 Million Gift Brings India Center Endowed Chair Closer to Reality
An endowed chair position for UCF’s India Center continues its march toward reality with a new $1 million pledge. The pledge comes from Raj Toleti, ‘93MS, and family, including his wife, Aparna Toleti, ‘95MS, and brings the total for the fund to $2 million of a $5 million goal. Their generous commitment to the success […]
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India Center Fellow Delivers Talk On Role of Women In Combat
BY SEEMA SHEKHAWAT, India Center Fellow On September 17, 2019, I delivered a talk at UCF’s Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE), on “Female Combatants: Victim or Victimizers.” It was an exciting experience speaking on a topic close to my heart in front of about 400 people. I have been researching these relatively less focused issues […]
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Growing International Impact Focus Of New Global Perspectives Chief
Developing UCF’s place in the world is David Dumke’s mission. And Dumke is well-suited to the task. Since 2012, Dumke has led the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies. Now Dumke is taking on his next task: leading the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives. The leadership post was held […]