India - EIAS

Complexities and Visions of Outer-Space between the EU and Asia

More recent global competition has reignited outer space curiosity, as well as the use of it as an illustration of a country’s competency, capability, and focus. Those States able to reach outer space by their own means demonstrate their power due to the financial strain required. Pushing back the limits of human exploration and establishing such ‘firsts’ conveys prestige and notoriety. The most recent ‘first’ was achieved on 23 August 2023. That day, the Chandayaar-3 mission led to an Indian lander known as Vikram touching down on the Lunar South Pole. There it dispatched its rover, Pragyan. This mission made India the fourth State to land an unmanned probe on the Moon after the US, Russia, and China. Moreover, it made it the first State to reach the lunar south pole.

INDIALOGUE Festival 21-24 November 2023

INDIALOGUE is a biennial festival in Ghent and Leuven that focuses on dialogue and exchange with the Indian art world. With this multidisciplinary 4-day festival, organisers Maghenta and India House Leuven aim for a stimulating and innovative exchange between contemporary and (more) traditional performing arts. Besides programming high-quality work, it aims to be a creative hub for less dominant artistic expressions through new collaborations, artistic blends and unexpected encounters.

The BRICS Expansion: Perspectives for the EU

When Lord Jim O’Neill, a former Goldman Sachs economist, coined the acronym “BRIC” in 2001 to describe the economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, he hardly foresaw that a formal BRICS political grouping, including South Africa, would emerge. Fast forward to the 2023 BRICS Summit, the group is now expanding. The Johannesburg II declaration, issued on 23 August 2023, offers a formal invitation to the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS from 1 January 2024 onwards. The expansion came as a surprise to many and left some wondering where BRICS is heading, as well as what the expansion will mean for other actors such as the EU.

Corporate Social Responsibility in India: Linking CSR and R&D

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the self-regulating mechanism by which businesses ensure to comply with globally agreed upon ethical norms and standards, and engage in actions for wider social benefit, such as acts to mitigate their impact on the environment, improving the labour conditions of the workforce or giving back to the community within which they operate.

Infrastructure Financing in Sri Lanka: Lessons Learnt and Future Collaboration

Over the past decade, Sri Lanka has seen a steady rise in foreign debt, largely as a result of unsustainable infrastructural loans. This debt was exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the highly remunerative tourism sector majorly impacted. In early 2021, the government was forced to declare a state of economic emergency amidst a distressing fall in the value of the Sri Lankan Rupee.

Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell? The EU’s Global Gateway and Expanding Economic Statecraft

On 1 December 2021, the EU launched its brand new infrastructural development scheme – “The Global Gateway”. By pledging to mobilise up to 300 billion EUR in investments by 2027, the EU is adding significant firepower to its toolkit of economic statecraft.

The Quad Leaders’ Summit: Where Does the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy Fit?

As the EU is asserting itself as an Indo-Pacific player by working with existing multilateral groupings, it maintains a degree of strategic ambiguity, especially regarding China. While this ambiguous stance may limit cooperation with the Quad on traditional security issues, the Quad and the EU hold the potential to jointly deliver on several, cross-domain transnational issues.

The Quad Spirit: Shifting Power Politics in the Indo-Pacific?

The virtual meeting between the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) that took place on the 12th of March

The 2021 EU-India Leaders’ Meeting: Far from a Done Deal

Announcements made following the meeting showcase renewed desire for the establishment of a solid multi-faceted relationship between the EU and India, encompassing trade and technology. Behind this course of action lies a clearly shared common vision of a multipolar Indo-Pacific. The circumstances of this alignment, however, cast doubt on its long-term potential and implementation.