The South Asia Institute cordially invites you to the event "Discussion on the Future of Democracy in Bangladesh", chaired by Prof. Dr. Rahul Mukherji from the Political Science Department, accompanied by Mr. Abdullah Al-Farooq, Dr. Dieter Reinhardt, Dr. A.S.M. Mostafizur Rahman and Mr. Aniruddha Kar. to take place in the CATS Lecture Hall on Friday, August 16, 2024.

Bangladesh has recently undergone a notable shift towards authoritarianism, deviating from its initial trajectory towards democracy. Despite increasing levels of oppression, the country has witnessed the ascendance of a student-lead and seemingly military-backed people’s movement that ousted the ruling party and compelled former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to flee the country. The Department of Political Science invites you to join our discussion and to assess the importance of of these developments for the future of democracy in Bangladesh.

You can find more information about the event here.

The Political Science Department of SAI is pleased to invite you to the Book Talk titled "The Unfinished Quest: India´s Search for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi", with the special participation of Prof. Dr. T.V. Paul. The lecture will take place in the CATS Lecture Hall on Monday, July 22nd 2024, starting from 02:15 p.m.

India’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest growing economies has attracted international attention. Growing tensions between China and the US are contributing to India’s growing significance as an international player, with a pivotal role in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, the dominance of Hindu-nationalist politics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi together with his efforts to establish India as a leading global power evoke global interest. In this context, the impact of India’s changing international status on domestic contestation and electoral fairness has not received much scholarly attention. In his lecture, T.V. Paul will use data from three decades about India’s economic and military growth to assess the country’s achievements and shortcomings in comparison with others, especially China.

T.V. Paul is distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He served as the President of the International Studies Association (ISA) in 2016-17. He is the founding director of the Global Research Network on Peaceful Change (GRENPEC) and the author or editor of 24 books and over 80 scholarly works in the fields of IR, International Security, and South Asia.