15/04/2026
🌏 This February, the South and Southeast Asia Track of BAIS hosted an academic debate surrounding the question: “Will India become a superpower by 2047?”
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👥 The event brought together scholars in International Relations from Leiden University and beyond for a dynamic debate, marking the first major academic event at our new Spui Campus. With around 200 attendees, the evening welcomed a diverse audience of students, faculty, diplomats, policymakers, and media professionals.
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💬 The discussion explored contrasting perspectives on India’s global trajectory. Proponents highlighted India’s economic transformation, advances in digitalisation and military modernisation, and its unique position as a bridge between the Global South and the West. Critical voices, however, pointed to persistent structural challenges, limitations in global network dominance, and the strategic constraints posed by its regional environment.
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🤝 The event was initiated by students from the SSEA track themselves, and co-organized in collaboration with lecturers: a stron gexample of student-staff collaboration!
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✨ Thanks to the audience for the insightful questions and to the speakers for their invaluable contributions!
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Panel members: Dr Garima Mohan, Dr Vineet Thakur, Dr Rogier Creemers and Dr Nicholas Blarel
Moderation: Richard Ghiasy
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