International Webinar titled ’Reading Democracy: Global Perspectives, Contentions and Debates’

An International Webinar titled Reading Democracy: Global Perspectives, Contentions and Debates was held on 27 and 28 August, 2020. The webinar was jointly organized by the Department of Political Science and IQAC, West Bengal State University, the Department of Political Science, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, IQAC, Loreto College, Kolkata, and Asia in Global Affairs, Kolkata.

All participating institutes are bound by MOUs, to share a common commitment to encourage independent thinking and reasoned debate which form the essence of intellectual growth and enrichment. This Webinar is the first of a series of joint academic and research endeavours that the institutes have envisaged to allow the spirit of their collaboration to flourish. The established ideals of democracy are being tested and challenged in recent times. Over the two days eminent scholars addressed the operation of democracy in the world today.

James Manor (University of London, U.K.), Christophe Jaffrelot (Centre for Studies in International Relations, France), Ajay Gudavarthy (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India), Samir Kumar Das (University of Calcutta, India), David Schultz (Hamline University and School of Law, University of Minnesota, U.S.a), Nivedita Menon (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India) Rakhee Bhattacharya ( Jawaharlal Nehru University, India) and Manisha Madhava ( SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai) were the resource persons for the two day webinar.

The Webinar was inaugurated on August 27, 2020 by the Honourable Vice Chancellor, West Bengal State University, Dr. Basab Chaudhuri; Honourable Vice Chancellor of SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, Prof. Shashikala Wanjari; Principal, Loreto College, Kolkata, Sr. Dr. Christine Coutinho; and Ms. Priya Singh, Associate Director, Asia in Global Affairs.