Tuesday, February 5, 2018 – One of the most followed Indian thought leaders in the world, acclaimed author, ex-diplomat and Member of Parliament Dr Shashi Tharoor will be the first speaker for Singapore headquartered online media company Connected to India’s inaugural Global Leaders Series to be held in Singapore on April 27.
Never the one to mince words Dr Tharoor will be in conversation, in front of an audience, with senior journalist and Editorial Advisor to Connected to India Madhavan Narayanan at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre auditorium on April 27 starting at 7 pm.
Video of the special message from Dr Shashi Tharoor:
The first half of the conversation will be around Dr Tharoor’s books including Inglorious Empire, an Era of Darkness, the latest release, Why I am a Hindu among others. Two thought leaders will join Dr Tharoor and Madhavan for the second half of program for a discussion on multiple subjects including the growing contribution and influence of Indian diaspora in their resident countries and the concept of Soft power.
A theory coined by Harvard Professor Joseph Nye is a nation’s ability to attract and co-opt, rather than by coercion, which is using force or giving money, as a means of persuasion. In India’s case, the film industry, arts and cuisine have been a consistent source of Soft power. Leading Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan count the English, American, Russians, most recently the Chinese in their army of fans among many other countries.
“We are privileged to have an icon like Dr Shashi Tharoor as our debut speaker for the Global Leader Series. In my opinion, Indian diaspora across the world admires Dr Tharoor, feels proud of his achievements as an author and as a representative of brand India and are eager to hear him and meet him. This event will give Indian diaspora in Singapore an opportunity to do precisely that. We plan to take Global Leader Series to Dubai, the US and the UK as well, in line with our content, brand and outreach strategy.” said, Himanshu Verma, Founder and CEO, Connected to India.
In addition to speaking at the Global Leaders Series, Dr Tharoor will be making a return visit, after a decade, to the Queenstown campus of the Global Indian International School (GIIS) engaging with students locally and via a live video link with more than 20,000 GIIS students across the world. With a regular periodicity, GIIS invites super achievers for its Leadership Lecture Series.
Past speakers have included the late Prime Minister of Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Aamir Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Sania Mirza, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, A R Rahman among others.
Dr Tharoor, whose fame transcends nationalities, has a unique Singapore connection. His twin boys were born here, and he has served as the head of the Singapore office of UNHCR between 1981 to 1984. He is currently a second-term Lok Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.
During his nearly three-decade-long career at the United Nations, he served as a peacekeeper, refugee worker, and administrator at the highest levels, serving as Under-Secretary-General during Kofi Annan’s leadership of the organisation. Detailed bio of Dr Shashi Tharoor can be found here: Biography.
Madhavan Narayanan is a senior journalist and editor with more than 30 years in the profession. He started his career in the Times of India Group and has worked with The Economic Times, Business Standard, Reuters Indian Express and most recently, Hindustan Times.
Though he officially specialised in business and technology, he has covered elections, the Kargil war and Pokhran nuclear tests. He writes on a wide range of subjects including culture, cinema and society. He is a regular commentator for the BBC, Al Jazeera and Lok Sabha TV.
His deep interest in Tamil, his mother tongue, Hindi, the language he speaks in his native Delhi, and English, his vocational language, have made him aware of the potential that translation from Tamil can bring to a wider audience. Madhavan has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi and a master’s in politics from Delhi University.
Tickets can be bought from Eventbrite.sg
