10/31/2019: Geo-Strategic Impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative with Fulbright Scholar Aqab Malik

Thursday, October 31, 2019

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Chung-wen Shih Conference Room, Suite 503

Elliott School of International Affairs

1957 E Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20052

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies cordially invites you to a discussion on the Belt Road Initiative with our Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Aqab Malik. The discussion and Q&A will be moderated by Associate Director Dr. Deepa Ollapally.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a colossal undertaking, which was primarily organized and initiated to lessen the impact of China’s economic downturn and mitigate its surplus production capacity and provide alternative markets for its mass manufactured products. In doing so, the initiative also recognizes that the prospective markets in Asia require extensive infrastructural upgrades to facilitate the necessary connectivity for the initiative’s vision to be a success. However, as China’s interests have grown and its investments have solidified in Eurasia and Africa, its recognition of the necessity for the protection of its interests have also grown commensurate to the investments it is making. This has led to concerns in the Western hemisphere that China’s goals through BRI are not wholly economic in nature, but also have geopolitical and geo-strategic dimensions.

This talk will explore the possibility of the geo-strategic impacts in the medium to long-term future in relation to the changing political and economic world order.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Aqab Malik is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the Sigur Center, Elliott School of International Affairs, where he is writing a book on the Geostrategic Impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative. Dr. Malik has had extensive teaching and research experience in Strategic Studies. He received his doctorate in Strategic and Nuclear Studies at the Department of Strategic Studies, National Defence University, Islamabad. He also has an MA in Security Studies from the University of Hull (UK), and graduated with a BSc in Marine Geography from Cardiff University (UK).

Previously, and in addition to his regular teaching, Dr. Malik has been actively engaged as a consultant for organizations as diverse as the National Counter Terrorism Authority, Ministry of Interior, Pakistan, in the Formulation and Writing of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy and Threat Assessment, and Position Paper, for Pakistan. Furthermore, he has worked as a Consultant to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

Dr. Malik has visited the US regularly, and prior to his recent position, was the 2013 South Asia Fellow at the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Malik regularly speaks at and attends international conferences, and also frequently appears on TV, globally through channels, such as Sky TV, i24, VOA, Al Arabiya, Abu Dhabi TV, Al Ain TV, Saudi TV, Libyan TV, News1, Khyber TV, amongst others.

Dr. Deepa Ollapally is Research Professor of International Affairs, Associate Director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, and Director of the Rising Powers Initiative. Dr. Ollapally specializes in regional security of South Asia, Indian foreign policy, and the role of identity in international relations. Her current research focuses on martiime security in the Indian Ocean and the impact of regional power shifts and the intersection of security and identity in India-China relations. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.

Dr. Ollapally has received major grants from foundations including the Carnegie Corporation, MacArthur Foundation, and Ford Foundation. She is a frequent commentator in the media, including appearances on CNN, BBC, CBS, Reuters TV, and the Diane Rehm Show. 

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.