G20 University Connect Engaging Young Minds series at IIM Calcutta
IIM Calcutta conducted the first lecture of the G20 University Connect Engaging Young Minds series on January 30. The event was organized in association with Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries. The lecture was delivered by Harsh Vardhan Shringla, chief coordinator of G20.
Appreciating the initiative, Manish K Thakur, Dean (New Initiatives & External Relations) said, “Today's lecture is important for us all to understand what G20 is and how it will help India on a global level. IIM Calcutta is proud to be associated with this historic event and looks forward to its success.”
The Group of Twenty (G20) is a forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues. Shringla, who explained the nitty-gritty of India's G20 presidency and its significance in his lecture.
A panel discussion was also held with Varun Sahni, professor, Jawaharlal Nehru National University, Delhi, and Sanjay Chaturvedi, professor, South Asian University, Delhi. Biju Paul Abraham, professor, IIM Calcutta, was the moderator of the discussion.
India's G20 presidency began from December 1, 2022, and will continue till November 30, 2023. Through the University Connect programme, students from universities across India are engaged in order to create awareness about the G20 summit, India's presidency and how India can emerge as a role model for the world. Holding the meeting at 56 different locations in India will ensure that the event appeals to all pan-India.
G20 University Connect was inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, during a curtain raiser event at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan on December 1, 2022. Vice-chancellors from 75 universities joined in virtually and in person to bring the lessons back to their respective institutions.
The University Connect series will be executed in the form of lectures, mock G20 summits and other interactive activities enabling students to engage and involve in the G20 process on the sidelines. The project is leveraging the capabilities of the partner institutions with research support from RIS which is offering its prodigious intellectual resources and network of experts including former diplomats, academicians, and subject experts to maintain the academic nature of the deliberations.
G20 is a unique grouping accounting for 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade, and 65 per cent of the world's population. As one of the leading nations of the Global South, India with its indispensable role in multilateral forums like the G20 is championing the cause of being the articulate voice of unheard nations.