Abstract:
Given its rising importance, the Bay of Bengal has been witnessing a scramble amongst major powers such as India, China, Japan, the U.S., and Russia, in deepening economic and strategic ties, bilateral relationships, and connectivity and infrastructural projects. India, currently anxious about growing Chinese forays in the region and beyond, can and has been benefiting greatly by cooperating with Japan, who for its part has been competitively investing and deepening ties here. Along these lines, this presentation argues that the converging trajectory of the India and Japan partnership in the Bay of Bengal, has not only the ability to create balance that would aide in the Bay’s peaceful development and rise, but further benefits will be accrued that extend into the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Abstract:
'Since its inception Pakistan has been in a volatile state. The country almost immediately began a costly war with India, had tense relations with Afghanistan, and played a major part in the Cold War as an ally of the United States and the West. After more than 70 years of existence, Pakistan's issues remain deep, complicated and dire. It is at the centre of the global War on Terror, has a terrorism and extremism problem itself, and its impoverished and exploding population is creating its own fissures. This talk will contextualise Pakistan in the world in the 21st century. The talk will try to make sense of Pakistan's foreign policy options by assessing its domestic reality and place it within the context of global power politics.