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Security expert from India to visit New Zealand

One of India’s leading experts on South Asian and regional security issues will be based at Victoria University in February and March.

Dr C Raja Mohan will be the holder of the Sir Howard Kippenberger Visiting Chair for 2011. His expertise will assist Victoria’s Centre for Strategic Studies with its purpose of researching security issues in the Asia Pacific region and their impact on New Zealand.

“India is playing an increasingly important role in Asia-Pacific and world affairs and access to expert advice from Dr Mohan will help us understand what this means for New Zealand”, says Professor Robert Ayson, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies. “I’m delighted that Dr Mohan has accepted this appointment and am sure his visit will energise and inform public debate on matters of real long-term importance to New Zealand.”

Dr Mohan will deliver several public lectures during his residence in New Zealand from 7 February until 17 March and will lead research seminars at several universities. He will deliver the annual Kippenberger Lecture at Victoria University on the evening of 28 February. His topic will be ‘The clash of the elephants? Great powers and Asia’s destiny’.

Dr Mohan is currently the Strategic Affairs Editor of The Indian Express, New Delhi. He was previously Professor of South Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi and the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore. He has been a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board and was the Henry Alfred Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress, Washington DC during 2009-10. Dr Mohan has published widely on international security issues.

Established in 2006, the Sir Howard Kippenberger Visiting Chair honours Major General Sir Howard Kippenberger, KBE, CB, DSO, ED, one of New Zealand’s most distinguished and courageous soldiers, who was also an eminent scholar and strategist. He served as President of the New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association and oversaw the production of 23 volumes of New Zealand official war histories. The Chair was established with funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation in Britain, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (Incorporated) through the Victoria University Foundation. The most recent holder of the Kippenberger Chair was distinguished scholar Dr Muthiah Alagappa, of the East-West Centre.

ENDS

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