The India China Institute’s 20th Anniversary Symposium
The India China Institute (ICI) was founded at The New School in 2004 to pursue new ways of thinking about the re-emergence of India and China on the world stage. Its mission was to study connections and flows between China, India and the United States in the context of a globalizing world that was transcending the bounded assumptions of “national interest” and geographies such as of “East Asia,” “South Asia” or “the West.” Twenty years later, optimism about globalization has been replaced by a disillusionment with liberal promises of mutual prosperity and progress arising from global flows of people, capital, and goods. The international economy is characterized by high tariffs, retaliatory sanctions, and regional trade groupings. States have securitized borders and mobilized grievances against domestic and geopolitical rivals, with raging wars and impending “Cold Wars,” exemplifying the collapse of shared global rules of engagement. Investments in public commons and multilateral institutions have been replaced by a discourse and practice of parochial protectionism.
In such an epochal moment of disarray and conflict, how can China and India offer vantage points for understanding a “post-liberal” world? This symposium, marking the twentieth anniversary of ICI, will explore how thinking with the pasts and presents of India, China, and the United States can help us analyze the challenges of the contemporary moment and reflect on alternative futures.
Agenda
Day 1
April 24th 2025, Thursday
5:00PM – 7:30PM
Opening Remarks and
Panel 1: The University Under a Global Authoritarian Turn
Governments and powerful social actors have both promoted higher education in the service of national power while seeking to place curbs on the teaching, research and political activity of scholars and universities. In 21st century China and India, governments have channeled impressive financial resources into higher education to create world-class research universities. At the same time, they have imposed new restrictions on the curriculum and restricted engagement with sensitive topics, including in some instances eliminating entire disciplinary programs. How broader political discourses and tensions in Indian and Chinese politics play out within their universities make for analogues – but also contrasts – to what is found in the United States. How can universities in our contemporary era produce innovation, new forms of knowledge, and new generation of thinkers needed to address multiple global crises?
This panel will address the contradictions of academic prestige and academic freedom in contemporary India, China, and also the United States, and consider the challenges of international academic exchanges in the current environment.
Day 2
April 25th 2025, Friday
10:00AM – 12:00PM
Panel 2: De-globalization and a New International Political Economy
The Chinese government’s emphasis on reducing dependency on foreign technology and fostering homegrown innovation reflects a broader strategy to consolidate its economic sovereignty and global influence. India’s economic nationalism is characterized by initiatives such as “Make in India” that aim to boost domestic manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and enhance the competitiveness of Indian industries. The United States has seen a shift towards protectionism and policies to prioritize American industries and workers. This includes renegotiation of trade deals, imposition of tariffs, and initiatives to revive domestic manufacturing.
This panel considers the rise and return of economic nationalism and industrial policy in India, China, and the United States, the emergence of regional blocs, and the ensuing implications for technology sectors, manufacturing, and the global economy.
Day 2
April 25th 2025, Friday
1:30PM – 3:30PM
Panel 3: Contesting History and Memory
The Chinese government’s emphasis on reducing dependency on foreign technology and fostering homegrown innovation reflects a broader strategy to consolidate its economic sovereignty and global influence. India’s economic nationalism is characterized by initiatives such as “Make in India” that aim to boost domestic manufacturing, reduce import dependence, and enhance the competitiveness of Indian industries. The United States has seen a shift towards protectionism and policies to prioritize American industries and workers. This includes renegotiation of trade deals, imposition of tariffs, and initiatives to revive domestic manufacturing.
This panel considers the rise and return of economic nationalism and industrial policy in India, China, and the United States, the emergence of regional blocs, and the ensuing implications for technology sectors, manufacturing, and the global economy.