Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on June 21st for our Annual Meeting as we host Dr. James Hastings, Chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Wingate University. He will share his insight on India, US-India relations and the evolution of the country over the past 45 years.
India at 70: Prospects and Challenges for the World’s Largest Democracy
After a long history of strained bilateral ties, India and the U.S. have recently formed a number of partnerships across areas of security, humanitarian aid, trade, cyber security, and energy agreements. In 2010 the annual “U.S. India Strategic Dialogue” launched as a yearly discussion between top officials of both countries, leading President Obama to call their renewed relations a “defining partnership in the 21st century.” As a key partner for U.S. strategic interests in Asia-Pacific, the relationship between the two countries is more important than ever as global security issues continue to threaten the region.
Date:
Wednesday, June 21
Location:
Private Residence
*Location details will be provided upon confirmation of reservations
Dinner & Networking:
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Presentation & Q&A:
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Cost:
$20 WACC Member Rate
$30 Non-Member rate
$12 WACC student/educator/TMS member
You must be an individual WACC educator/student/TMS member to qualify for the $12 rate
- Register online
- Credit card payments (non-PayPal transactions): Please call 704-687-7762 for payment processing over the phone
- Check payments: Please make your check payable to “World Affairs Council of Charlotte” and mail it to the following address:
World Affairs Council of Charlotte
UNC Charlotte – CHHS 227
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223
All reservation cancellations must be completed at least 3 business days prior to an event for a full refund. If you have dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance so that we can make the appropriate accommodations.
Biography
I have always been interested in Asia and first traveled to India shortly after I graduated from college. I visited several more times over the ensuing years, fell in love with Indian culture, and eventually, after careers as a postal worker, private detective, and professional chef, decided to go back to school for formal study.
Recognizing how little most Americans know about India and the rest of Asia, I felt that my calling was to spend my life educating people about Asian societies. After years of study of Indian languages and cultures, and years living in India and doing research there, I began to teach. I try to introduce Asian perspectives to my students so that they can begin to understand how the people of East, South, and Southeast Asia view the world. Beyond the classroom, I have escorted almost 150 Wingate University students to various destinations in Asia, including Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, through the W’International program.
Selected Publications:
- Sensory Experiences as Elements of Asian Studies Field Trips.” Education About Asia, Vol. 19, no. 1. Spring 2014
- “‘Bikaner'” and ‘Rajasthan’ in India Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic.” ed. Arnold P. Kaminsky and Roger D. Long. Greenwood Publishing. 2011
- “Renouncing Renunciation: Viraha Bhakti, Veer Bhakti and the Rajput Ethos among Dadupanthi Nagas, circa 1660-1860 CE.” Incompatible Visions: South Asian Religions in History and Culture. ed. James Blumenthal. Madison: University of Wisconsin, Center for South Asia. 2006
- “Poets, Warriors and Brothers: The Shifting Identities of Rajput Dadupanthis, circa 1660-1860 CE.” Culture, Communities and Change. ed. Varsha Joshi. Jaipur: Rawat Publications and Institute of Rajasthan Studies. 2002
