Introduction

India is turning into a global power. The country has a fast growing economy and is increasingly playing an important role in international politics. We may accept that its global importance will further rise in the future, if only because Indians account for one sixth of the world population.

This new position highly contrasts with the attention for India. In Belgium as well as other countries in continental Europe, both media and academia largely ignore the country. Key developments in the fields of politics, society and eceonomy, are hardly covered. India only makes the headlines with stereotypes and clichés.

The Leuven India Focus, established in 2010, wants to respond to this. It aims at expanding our knowledge about India and South-Asia by stimulating interdisciplinary education and research on the region. In this way it hopes to facilitate the dialogue between the European Union and India and to enhance mutual understanding.

The Leuven India Focus is hosted by the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and unites a group of professors and researchers who are active in the field of the European Union and India. It aspires to conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and regularly organizes conferences, lectures, workshops and other activities to communicate key issues to students, academics, business leaders, public opinion makers, and the broader public.

It therefore has the following mission statement:

The Leuven India Focus aims at developing, broadening and deepening knowledge and expertise on India and South Asia by organizing conferences, lectures and seminars and conducting and stimulating interdisciplinary research. The Leuven India Focus regularly invites scholars and experts from India, Europe and elsewhere to teach and debate on vital issues facing Indian society and the neighboring region. Through these and other exchanges, it aspires to foster research on India and to cultivate academic networks and parnerships.