The Jindal India Institute (JII) of JGU hosted 39 Indian diaspora youth achievers for a one-day learning visit to the campus on July 12 as part of the 75th Know India Programme (KIP), an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.<\/p>\n
The youth came from Fiji, Guyana, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, South Africa, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Their day-long engagement on the JGU campus featured two expert lectures and a guided tour, embodying the concept of \u2018knowledge tourism\u2019 as promoted by the MEA\u2019s KIP.<\/p>\n
In one expert lecture, Professor Sreeram Chaulia, Director General of JII, spoke about the vision and interests driving India\u2019s diaspora diplomacy. He highlighted the strategic and economic aspects of India\u2019s diaspora engagement policy and emphasised the role of overseas Indians in shaping the nation\u2019s future during the \u2018Amrit Kaal\u2019. He described the Indian diaspora as \u2018carriers of India\u2019s greatness\u2019 and \u2018strategic assets\u2019 that contribute to building India\u2019s \u2018leading power\u2019 goal. He urged the attending diaspora youth achievers to play a positive role as vectors of India\u2019s soft power worldwide.<\/p>\n
The second lecture was an interactive session delivered jointly by Professors Naresh Singh and Haseeb Mohammed. They discussed the idea of India in the eyes of the Indian diaspora. Professor Singh, a Senior Fellow at JII, and a long-time employee of the United Nations, is of Guyanese origin. He explained how the world looks at India as the land of spirituality. Professor Mohammed, an Associate Professor at Jindal School of International Affairs, hails from Trinidad and Tobago and has served as a diplomat in India. He discussed some specific cultural and religious practices in the Caribbean relevant to preservation of the Indian identity and the idea of \u2018Indian-ness\u2019 globally. Both speakers celebrated India as a profound teacher of humility and as a reservoir of wisdom that can solve global problems.<\/p>\n
The Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU and President of JII, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, said, \u201cJII\u2019s mission and mandate is to enhance India\u2019s image and soft power in front of international audiences. The partnership between JII and MEA under the KIP is meant to advance these strategic goals. Our world-class infrastructure and knowledge resources are available for further collaborations with MEA to advance India\u2019s national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n