Veteran Policymaker To Discuss Growing U.S.-India Relationship

Former Deputy Secretary of State Manpreet Singh Anand will visit the University of Central Florida as a guest of the India Center. Singh will participate in a series of events for students, faculty and members of the community. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, he will give a talk title: “Examining the U.S.-India Relationship: Growth, Opportunities & Challenges.” The talk will be held from 12-1:30 pm in UCF Global 101. Lunch will be served.

Anand is currently an Adjunct Senior Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security and a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University.

As Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs during the Obama Administration, Anand was responsible for shaping policy and diplomatic relations with the countries of South Asia, including India. Prior to that, Anand was the Deputy Assistant Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and was responsible for the South and Central Asia region. He helped modernize U.S. assistance programs for India to reflect India’s development and the growing importance of the U.S.-India bilateral relationships. In the course of his career, he has also held posts at the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. A full biography is available here: https://www.cnas.org/people/manpreet-singh-anand.

“We are honored to have Manpreet Singh Anand visit UCF. He has been integral in shaping U.S.-India relations over the past decade – a period which has seen the relationship grow in importance. We look forward to hearing his insight on this important strategic relationship. We appreciate his willingness to visit Orlando and engage with students, faculty, and our community partners,” noted David Dumke, director of South Asia Initiatives.

In addition to the Feb. 19 talk, Anand will be featured in a student podcast and meet with faculty and members of Central Florida’s Indian-American community. Anand is interested to learn more about the India Center at UCF and its initiatives, including UCF’s unique partnership with Madhya Pradesh.

For additional information or to RSVP for the Feb. 19 lunch, please contact Kinda Haddad at Kinda.Haddad@ucf.edu or 407.823.2510.