India and her Neighbours: Friends and Foes - Dr Avinash Paliwal

The UK's leading forum for international politics and global issues, founded in 1980. India and her Neighbours: Friends and Foes - Dr Avinash Paliwal Democracy in Africa is facing significant challenges in 2025, with many countries experiencing issues like electoral manipulation and authoritarianism. However, there are also signs of democratic resilience, as some nations have seen peaceful transitions and increased political participation. Avinash Paliwal specialises in foreign and security policy analysis, with a regional focus on South Asia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. His areas of expertise include International Security and International Relations. He holds a PhD in International Relations from King's College London, and a BA in Economics from the University of Delhi. Formerly a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, he briefly worked as a foreign affairs journalist before entering academia. Prior to his post at SOAS, Avinash taught Defence Studies at King's College London and was the Defence Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Regional Security Research Centre at King's. His recent book, India's Near East – A New History (2024) unpacks India's faltering attempts to exert control over its eastern hinterland and neighbouring states. Avinash has taken part in podcasts and public discussions on India's relations with Bangladesh, Pakistan and China and was an expert witness for the House of Lords Select Committee on International Relations and Defence, the UK and Afghanistan. At the request of the speaker this video does not contain the Q&A session.