Upcoming Panel Discussion on South Asia 2060 in Singapore

With over one-fifth of the world’s population, a critical geo-strategic location, two nuclear weapon states, major human development challenges as well as striking economic momentum, and facing critical natural resource challenges, South Asia has been – and is likely to remain – a focus of great international attention with deep impacts on the rest of the world.

However, despite sizable literature that looks at the relations between specific countries in the region, there is little discussion of what the region means as a region – today and into the emerging future.

Visions of a Region’s Future: South Asia 2060, is a panel discussion which aims to discuss and articulate the issues and challenges facing South Asia’s future through a dialogue with eminent leaders in the business and academic community. Co-organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, with support from the Institute of South Asian Studies, it features perspectives from three thought-leaders on South Asia: Prof. Adil Najam, Director of the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Mr. Manu Bhaskaran, Partner and Member of the Board of the Centennial Group, and Dr. Amitendu Palit, Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies. The panel discussion will be held on August 12, 2010, from 5.30 – 7.40 p.m. at the National Library in Singapore.

Opening remarks will be given by Dr. T.C.A Raghavan, High Commissioner of India, and the Keynote Address will be delivered by Ambassador Gopinath Pillai, Ambassador-at-Large, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Management Board of the Institute of South Asian Studies, and Chairman of Gateway Distriparks Ltd.

Program:
5:30-6:00 Registration & Arrival of guests

6:00-6:05 Welcome Address
Assoc. Prof. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
6:05-6:15 Opening Remarks
Dr. T.C.A Raghavan, High Commissioner, High Commission of India, Singapore
6:15-6:30 Keynote Address
Amb. Gopinath Pillai, Ambassador-at-Large, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the Management Board of the Institute of South Asian Studies, and Chairman of Gateway Distriparks Ltd

6.30-6.45 Q&A with Ambassador Gopinath Pillai

6:45-7:15 Panel Discussion
Manu Bhaskaran, Partner and Member of the Board, Centennial Group

South Asia in the Asian Economy
Amitendu Palit, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies
The impact of China’s rise on South Asia
Adil Najam, Director Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University
South Asia 2060: Imagining Regional Futures

7:15-7:30 Q&A

7:30-7:40 Closing remarks by Adil Najam, Director, Frederick S. Pardee Center, Boston University
7:40-end Light reception

This seminar is part of the South Asia 2060 project. Read more about it here. For more details about this event, please contact pardee@bu.edu.