Acting High Commissioner Ambassador Dinesh K. Patnaik delivered a talk on 'India in the Age of Disruption' at Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD), Somerville College. During his interaction with students, faculty and researchers based at Oxford, he spoke of the various challenges and opportunities posed to modern day individuals, societies and nations, and discussed how imperative it is for all to confront and adapt and even channelize these forces of innovative change including those brought in by technology, for inclusive global development.
Amb. Patnaik spoke in particular about India, where not only the private sector, but the Government as well is actively harnessing the tools of mass technologies including internet and social media to reach out and to deliver social services more effectively to the remotest villages. The interactive lecture was hosted together by Oxford India Society and Somerville College.
Principal of Somerville College, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, welcomed Amb. Patnaik to the College, and in particular to OICSD which was created in 2003 with a grant from Government of India, matched by Somerville and Oxford with the aim to promote multi-disciplinary research in sustainable nutrition, environment and health.
Acting High Commissioner also met with Dr Robert Easton, Pro Vice Chancellor for Development and External Affairs, Oxford University and discussed ideas for the University's developmental goals and public affairs vis-a-vis India, enhancing visits and enrolment of students and faculty from India, and explored ways of deepening educational and research collaboration between Oxford and Indian Universities.
Dr. Mallica Kumbera Landrus, Keeper of the Eastern Art Department at Ashmolean Museum also met with Amb. Patnaik during the visit, and took him through the collections pertaining to India, ceramics, textiles, sculpture, metal works, paintings, prints and other decorative arts spanning more than 5000 years in history.
