The India Center Co-hosts International Joint Seminar
By ARIANNA LESTRADE
The India Center at UCF, in collaboration with Karlstad University in Sweden, hosted a virtual seminar on “Social Responsibility and Human Security in India.” India Center Interim Director Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., and India Center Director of Public Affairs Leila Chacko,opened the event and introduced the speakers, and Karlstad University Associate Professor Kristian Niemi, Ph.D., moderated the seminar. Four guest speakers from Banaras Hindu University in India presented lectures and participated in discussion with the audience.
Priyankar Upadhyaya, Ph.D. presented a discussion on “Meeting Twin Challenges of Democracy and Social Equality: Indian Example.” He focused on business ethics and social responsibility in a globalized world. Upadhyaya emphasized how India’s success has come from a long history of respecting duality and diversity. Manoj Mishra, Ph.D., focused his presentation on “The Impact of Global Warming and Climate Change on India.” Mishra remarked that global climate change has encouraged internal and outward migration in India. Not only does India experience a large amount of rain because of climate change but also experiences periods of drought that affect vegetation and food security. Ajay Kumar Yadav, Ph.D., discussed “Measuring Human Security in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.” Eastern Uttar Pradesh has a high population density and is one of the most underdeveloped regions in India. The region has a low standard of living with many people experiencing multidimensional poverty. Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya, Ph.D., presented the final topic of the seminar on “Women’s Empowerment in India: From Rights to Agency.” Upadhyaya stated that India was one of the earliest countries to have an immensely powerful female Prime Minister and currently has a female president. Nonetheless, women face numerous disadvantages in India and continue to struggle to achieve gender equality.
These presentations and discussion were the first collaborative event between the India Center and Karlstad University following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on research and seminars. “I am grateful we worked with Karlstad University to bring respected experts to our first joint seminar. The presentations and discussions were insightful. We are excited to explore other areas of common interest for future cooperation to broaden the understanding of contemporary India,” said Chacko.
Watch the full discussion here.