The Franco-German Observatory invites key actors from the Indo-Pacific to present their vision of the region, how they conceive of it geo-strategically and the place of China, the US, and Europe within this framework. We look forward to debating questions of economic interdependence and independence, of trade and investment, and the expectations the countries of the Indo-Pacific might have towards the “West” in general, and Europe, in particular.

Speaker:

Dr. Constantino Xavier is a Fellow in Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) in New Delhi. At CSEP he leads the Sambandh Initiative on Regional Connectivity. He is a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, in Washington DC.

His research expertise is on India’s role as a regional power and the challenges of security, connectivity and democracy across South Asia and the Indian Ocean. His work examines issues relating to India's connectivity strategy to build sustainable infrastructure, capacity building and development partnerships in cooperation with other Indo-Pacific powers or through regional institutions. He also works on India’s relations with the European Union and other democratic countries, and has published widely in academic books and journals on India’s foreign and security policies.

Dr. Xavier regularly teaches at various Indian and international universities, as well as various diplomatic and military training institutions in India. He holds a Ph.D. in South Asian studies from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and an M.A. and M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, with undergraduate studies in Portugal and France.

Chairs & Moderation:

Dr. Raphaëlle Khan is Jerome S. Levy Fellow, Department of Political Science at the City University of New York & Associate at the Harvard Asia Center. She is also Associate Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM) in Paris.

Dr. Johannes Plagemann is a Research Fellow at the GIGA.