The Sigur Center for Asian Studies

The Elliott School of International Affairs
The George Washington University

The George Washington University

India Initiative



Expanding its repertoire on Asia, the Sigur Center launched a new India Initiative in October 2007 with an exclusive reception and discussion, drawing guests from academia, business, government and the community. The panel discussion focused on "Opportunities for India as a Rising Power: Views from the United States and Japan," featuring two Sigur-affiliated faculty members: Ambassador Karl Inderfurth and Mike Mochizuki, authorities on U.S. foreign policy and Japanese politics, respectively.

According to Deepa Ollapally, associate director of the Center, "The India Initiative is a natural development for the Sigur Center for Asian Studies—a recognition that the rise of India is helping to redefine what is Asia. We believe that the Center's well-known programs on China, Japan and Korea will provide an ideal framework for studying contemporary India in Asia and on the global scene." Mochizuki, a former Sigur Center director, said that "India-China relations and India-Japan relations are shaping the dynamics of Asia as a whole. Therefore, the Sigur Center’s India Initiative highlights the emergence of this new Asia."

There are over 20 faculty and researchers already doing India-related work at GW, drawn from a variety of disciplines, including international affairs, business, public health, political science, law, anthropology, religion and regional development. To see a listing of South Asia related courses that have been offered at GWU in the past two years, as well as a listing of South Asia faculty, please click here.

The India Initiative hopes to have a range of scholarly and policy activities: high-level conferences, policy dialogues, student scholarships, visiting fellowships, specialized lecture series and a professorship in India Studies. The Elliott School has already signed a memorandum of understanding for a student and faculty exchange program with Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and the Indian American Education Foundation has provided seed funds to help establish student scholarships
in India Studies.

Located in the nation's capital, the India Initiative aims to place the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the forefront of scholarship and analysis of U.S.-India relations and U.S. foreign policy on the subcontinent. Ollapally notes, "It can also help shape future policy, whether the Democrats or the Republicans come to power."

We are reaching out to friends of the Sigur Center to help support the India Initiative. Your contribution may be made by visiting https://www.gwu.edu/online_giving/. Be sure to select "Other" for the gift designation and type "India Initiative - Sigur Center for Asian Studies."

Thanks for your support!

The India Initiative was featured in "India Abroad" in November 2007. To read the article, please click here.

The India Initiative's March 12, 2008 event featuring Ambassador Ronen Sen was featured in the April 2008 issue of "India Review." To read the article, please click here.