Manipal: The Manipal Academy of Higher Education in Manipal will celebrate a decade of European Studies conducted at the university by hosting an academic meet titled “India-EU Engagements: A Decade in Reflection and Way Forward” on December 6 and 7.
The conference, organised by the Manipal Centre of European Studies (MCES), will invite experts in European Studies (from India and abroad) to deliberate on relations between the two regions. Former Indian Ambassador to Netherlands, Bhaswati Mukherjee will be delivering the keynote address.
The experts will discuss political, social, educational, economic, and trade relations between the two regions while also defining the role of academics in sustaining relations between India and Europe.
MCES was established in December 2009 with funding from the Delegation of European Union to India. Simultaneously, Contemporary India Studies Centres were established in Aarhus University, Denmark, Reutlingen University, and the University of Warsaw. Representatives from some of these universities are also expected to participate in the event.
Since 2009, Manipal Centre of European Studies (MCES) has made strides in the field of European Studies in India and is currently the only institution that offers a holistic Master’s programme on the subject.
MCES also marked an important milestone in July 2018 when it received the recognition of a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in India-EU Interdisciplinary Studies under the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, making it the first Indian institution to get this recognition. This academic meet is also being organised as a part of the Centre of Excellence project.
There will be paper presentations and panel discussions addressing the intricate dimensions of India-EU relations at the meet. Scholars from Pondicherry University, JNU, Mangalore University, and other such prominent institutions will be presenting their research during the conference. The meet aims to be a platform for young researchers and students to showcase their research and engage with experts from the field.
Manipal Academy of Higher Education Vice-Chancellor Dr H. Vinod Bhat will join Bhaswati Mukherjee as the chief guest for the inauguration of the conference. Prasana School of Public Health (PSPH) Director Helmut Brand will be the guest of honour. MCES head Professor Neeta Inamdar is the convener of this conference.
