Swasti Rao

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Dr. Swasti Rao is Associate Fellow at the Europe and Eurasia Center, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

She has a Masters in Politics (spl’n. IR) and an M.Phil in East Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has completed her PhD in Advanced International Politics from Tsukuba University, Japan. She is a recipient of Japanese Education Ministry Fellowship (MEXT) in 2011 and also a recipient of the ‘Okita Memorial Scholarship’ in 2010 from ICCR.

She holds an adjunct position at the Tokai University, Japan in the capacity of a foreign collaborator for the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) funded research project on “Civil Society and Urban Governance in Asia, 2020-2025”

Her current research project at IDSA is on Conflicts in Europe amidst shifting Global Power Structures: Geometries of Deterrence and Europe’s Indo Pacific outreach as strategies for Threat Balancing. Her other work and research interests explore dimensions of the securitization debate in Europe , Migrant Crisis, Europe’s Outreach to Indo -Pacific, Defence Cooperation between India and Major European Players, Multilateral Cooperation for Space Situational awareness and Maritime Domain Awareness. She also explores Europe- Japan relations and its global implications. She has published with Routledge on intelligence sharing in the Indo Pacific and her forthcoming work with them is on Climate Change and Space Debris issues with special focus on emerging space race.

Before joining MP-IDSA she was Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategic and Security Studies, AMU where she taught courses on European Security, Rise of China and implications for World Order, Research Methodology and UN Peacekeeping.

She has also been Research Associate at the Graduate School of Humanities and Politics at the University of Tsukuba, Japan from 2011-2016.

She has been a Principal Investigator in Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) funded project,”A Comparative and Empirical Study of the Structural Changes in Politics” from 2011-2014.

She is the editor of Either/Or, an academic journal dedicated to international and political affairs.

Dr. Rao has published extensively, delivered talks and lectures at various international universities like Australian National University, Canberra; Gakushuin University and Tokai University, Japan; Giresun University, TurkeyNational Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico; Thammasat University, Thailand and writes regular Op-ed columns for leading dailies.

She has been involved in syllabus writing for Political Science, CBCS, IGNOU for the year 2020 and has been associated with the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), for collating International Relations Resources and Research Methodology Resources for teachers in Higher Education in 2020 funded by the National Resource Centre for Education, NEUPA

Other Publications

  • Associate Fellow
  • Email: rswasti[dot]mpidsa[at]gov[dot]in
  • Phone: +91 11 2671 7983

Publication

Russia’s GDP growth shows resilience against Western sanctions. But it only tells half a story

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘Russia’s GDP growth shows resilience against Western sanctions. But it only tells half a story’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 09 February 2024.

Russia is now the most sanctioned country in the world, with 19,000 sanctions against its different entities and individuals, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 9 February, 2024

Beyond Macron-Modi bromance—what’s next for India-France partnership?

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘Beyond Macron-Modi bromance—what’s next for India-France partnership?’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 26 January 2024.

A liberal France’s endorsement of India, right after a spectacular Ram temple consecration, will be a net positive for New Delhi in Europe, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 26 January, 2024

Is Europe’s Pursuit of Security Delusional? West Must Fix Its Internal Maladies First

January 19, 2024

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘Is Europe’s pursuit of security delusional? West must fix its internal maladies first’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 19 January 2024.

There has to be a collective pursuit of finding a new equilibrium for the world, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 19 January, 2024

India-UK defence, economic ties have upgraded. But London must handle Khalistani issue

January 12, 2024

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece titled ‘India-UK defence, economic ties have upgraded. But London must handle Khalistani issue’, has been published in The Print on 12 January 2024. Rajnath Singh’s UK visit has given a fresh impetus to all defence and economic initiatives but much ground remains to be covered, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 12 January, 2024

Choke Points in the Baltic Sea Region: An Unfinished Project of Nordic NATO-isation by Swasti Rao

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s chapter titled ‘Choke Points in the Baltic Sea Region: An Unfinished Project of Nordic NATO-isation’ has been published in the edited volume "Geopolitics Redefined: Punctured Truths and Glamourised Lies-II" (edited by K. Siddhartha), published by Kitab Mahal Publishers, New Delhi.

  • Published: 21 December, 2023

COP28 climate deal is a win for India. It got semantics right for developing economies by Swasti Rao

Associate Fellow, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘COP28 climate deal is a win for India. It got semantics right for developing economies’ has been published in The Print on 16 December 2023.

In a victory for India and other developing economies, the agreement avoids the term ‘phase out’ for fossil fuels, using “phase down of unabated coal power” instead, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 16 December, 2023

Braverman’s exit and Cameron’s entry is good news for India. It can fast-track FTA

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Swasti Rao’s opinion piece ‘Braverman’s exit and Cameron’s entry is good news for India. It can fast-track FTA’ has been published in ‘The Print’ on 17 November 2023.

Braverman’s remark of Indians being the largest group of visa overstayers had irked New Delhi. Therefore, from India’s perspective, a change in the govt might mean fast-tracking FTA, says Dr Rao.

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  • Published: 17 November, 2023