Launch of the Indo-Pacific Curriculum 

The launch of the Indo-Pacific Curriculum (IPC) was a landmark event to inaugurate the curriculum on ‘Regional Pedagogy for the Indo-Pacific’ by the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS), Christ University, in collaboration with the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR) and the U.S. Consulate General Chennai. The event marked a significant milestone as distinguished guests and scholars joined to emphasise the multifaceted aspects of the Indo-Pacific region. The course was inaugurated by Dr Fr Jose C C, Vice Chancellor, Christ University, and Mr. Chris Hodges, the U.S. Consul General, U.S. Consulate General Chennai.

With Support from the U.S. Department of State through the Consulate in Chennai, the Indo-Pacific Circle was launched in February 2022. It has grown into a vibrant platform with about 97 members representing about 42 women and 55 men from diverse regions, including two Pacific Islands, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Korea, Australia and the United States. As a regionally owned and operated platform, the Indo-Pacific Circle amplifies evidence-based management, fosters collaboration, and serves as a hub for an Indigenous college production. One of the important rationales for establishing this network was ensuring the region’s story contributed from within the region.

“People are the biggest brand ambassadors.”

The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Manoharan N, Professor and Director of CEAS. Mr. Dennison Joseph, Associate Director, Office of International Affairs, introduced Christ University and its leadership initiatives. Mr. Chris Hodges probed about the university’s partners, faculty choices, and the inclusivity of international students. Mr. Dennison emphasised that the students and faculty are at the core of Christ University’s success.

“Upwards and onwards”— a momentum at this starting point

Dr. Gaurav Saini, Co-Founder of CSDR and Ms. Amba Wattal, Project Associate at CSDR, provided an overview of the Indo-Pacific Circle’s journey and the new curriculum. It tells a story of the region; a collaboration with a shared vision that began in March of 2024 has materialised into a comprehensive curriculum starting enrolments from 26 November 2024. 

Dr. Shreya Upadhyay & Mr. Don Mclain Gill, IPC members and course resource persons, shared their experience of achieving a semblance of a deeper conceptual understanding and policy objectives achieved through constructive feedback. The process anchored their focus by clarifying why endeavour to make the course in the first place. The curriculum directs learners to keep momentum, go beyond the course plan and get a deep-rooted local understanding of the subject’s dynamism beyond a geo-political overview. 

Dr. Fr. Jose C.C., Vice Chancellor of Christ University, gave his special remarks emphasising the confluence of the cross-cultural inspiration between the U.S. and India. He underscored the pivotal position of scholars from the IPC in shaping peace, cooperation and sustainability.

Inauguration of the curriculum

Mr Hodges and Dr. Fr. Jose C.C. inaugurated the hard copy and digital release. Mr Hodges began his note by greeting and thanking the guests. He appreciated the members of the Chennai consulate who had worked on this and conceptualized it with their partners at Christ University. 

He remarked, “First, I think that when people talk about the Indo-Pacific, it’s often very unfairly and reductively shorthanded to a couple of very specific dimensions. In particular- the security dimension and maritime dimension. What this course and curriculum help to do is explain and help those understand that the Indo-Pacific region is much more. It is about economics, environment, demographics, society, and culture. It is about how all these different communities and countries come in.”

“I think the second really important dimension of this is that no one can define the Indo-Pacific alone. And instead, it must be a conversation that includes all of the Countries that live and reside within this region.”

“It’s not about always finding the answers. It’s about asking the right questions.”

He explained that inclusivity and dialogue are pivotal to the endeavour of defining and learning the IPC; and to do that, he said,“…what this curriculum hopes to do and is starting to do with students it recruits is ask the right questions, get us thinking about the right dimensions to this region and its importance and its relevance for the world… this is a conversation not just between governments, among governments, that it requires and depends upon informed civil society debate to make it go.” The Indo-Pacific region of 2024 is vastly different than the Indo-Pacific region of 1984 or 1954. One cannot hope to understand the Indo-Pacific region and call it a day. It is going to continue to evolve generationally.

The ensuing thing he highly valued was the participation of the youth in the dialogue. He said, “…it is not just about researchers and professors coming together and creating a road map. It is about the students that roadmap connects to and inspires and informs.”

“Magical moments that…make this worthwhile”

Learning from the course happens in two ways, he noted. One is the macro dimension, which is everybody getting their information and growing a bit. Two, in a magical moment, a student’s perspective changes to catapult and anchor their path to being a leader in the Indo-Pacific.

“It is incredibly important that the students coming up, the future leaders in this room, the future leaders that take up this course, the future leaders that are part of this discussions can not just understand it as passive recipients but drive it, shape it help to develop it in ways that are really meaningful.”

Mr. Ashwin Dhanabalan, Project Associate, CEAS, delivered the vote of thanks, remarking that the future of the discourse on the IPC lies in building relationships. Dr. Fr Jose C C felicitated Mr. Chris Hodges after the program.