Conference on ‘Act East Policy, Regional Economic Integration and Development of the North-Eastern Region of India.’ on the 13th of May, 2022.
Indian council of Social science Research, North Eastern regional centre, (ICSSR-NERC), Shillong
in collaboration with Association of Asian Scholars (AAS), Delhi
is organizing a one-day conference on the topic
Act East Policy, Regional Economic Integration and Development of the North-Eastern Region of India.’
on the 13th of May, 2022 at ICSSR-NERC, Conference Hall.
AEP in the context of the North-east is being dubbed as the new macro development strategy for the development of the region. The development outcomes are supposed to be realized through increased economic integration with South East Asia, East Asia (Japan, South Korea) and neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh by promoting better connectivity, increased trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange. To maximize such potential benefits, the prevailing institutional strengths and weaknesses of the region vis a vis the countries in the Indo-Pacific, South East Asia, East Asia and other neighbours like Bangladesh are to be identified in term of scientific studies. We see a great role for ICSSR-NERC, Shillong and Association of Asian Scholars (AAS), Delhi in this context. Socio-economic issues like transaction costs, social entrepreneurship, people to people contact through cultural exchanges, tourism, trade, connectivity, governance, strategic relations leveraging the strength of traditional institutions of community for reduction of transactions costs are some of the topics that need immediate attention and engagement of scholars and practitioners within in the region, think- tanks like AAS and scholars from abroad.
Further some scholars and development practitioners in the region are apprehensive of the fact that if the AEP becomes the macro-development policy for the development of the region, it may lead to (i) loss of livelihood and landed properties in case of the individuals and communities, (ii) large scale environmental unsustainability and (iii) the North-east becoming largely a transport corridor for transport of materials and men without any meaningful industrial activities happening in the region.
It is against this backdrop, ICSSR-NERC, Shillong in collaboration with AAS proposes a one-day conference on ‘Act East Policy, Regional Economic Integration and Development of the North-eastern Region of India.’ To be jointly organised in ICSSR –NERC, Shillong. Under this broad theme, the important issues/sub-themes that the conference wants to deliberate and reflect upon are:
1. Act East Policy and Development of North-east India
2. Act East Policy, South East Asia and North-east India: Trade, Connectivity, tourism, investment and people to people connect.
3. Act East Policy, East Asia and North-east India: Trade, Connectivity, tourism, investment and people to people connect
4. Recent developments in international relations, Act East Policy and the North-eastern Region.
5. Institutions, Innovations and Development: Situating India’s North-east in the Act East policy framework.
6. Indo Pacific and ASEAN.
7. Act East Policy, Sustainable Development and India’s North-east.
The Programme is going to be attended by many academicians, development practitioners, members of AAS and research scholars from the country, abroad and the region.
