ICCS Team

Mr. Arun P. Dravid is a Ph.D. scholar under the guidance of Prof. C. Vinodan at the School of International Relations and Politics (SIRP), Mahatma Gandhi University. He also completed his M.A and M. Phil in International Relations and Politics from the same University. Currently, He is working as Honorary Research Fellow & Centre in-charge at ICCS Office. He has completed a One Year Chinese Language Program from Ningxia Medical University, China. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism from Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, Mumbai. His doctoral research is focusing on China’s Soft Power Diplomacy in Africa. He has spent time as a student / researcher in different parts of India.
Mr. Dravid specializes in China and African Studies, China’s international relations and Public Diplomacy, China’s foreign and energy security policies in the Global South. He has presented papers at several national and international seminars and conferences and has addressed several forums on current issues. He was also associated as the joint convenor and coordinator of various International Conferences conducted by School of International Relations, Mahatma Gandhi University.

Recent Articles in Regional Language: https://truecopythink.media/world/how-the-foreign-policy-of-the-second-trump-administration-will-affect-relations-with-india-arun-dravid-writes

https://themalabarjournal.com/post/tmj-outlook-trump-2-china-and-latin-america-through-the-corridors-of-ambiguity-arun-dravid/

https://themalabarjournal.com/post/tmj-outlook-trump-2-0-indian-prospects-and-challenges-arun-dravid-devangana-a

Mr. Harikrishnan C Rag is a research scholar (PhD) who works under the supervision of Prof. Dr. C Vinodan, Director of SIRP. After receiving his MA and MPhil from the School of International Relations and Politics, he is currently carrying out extensive research on major developments, recent trends, and strategic implications of India’s defence policy since 2014. He holds JRF-NFOBC in Political Science.

Areas of specialization:

• Traditional security Studies

• Fire Power Studies

• Indo-US Defence Relation 

• Indian Ocean and China

• Indian and Chinese Military 

• Military Technology 

PhD Scholar engaged under Prof. Dr. C Vinodan.

Awarded UGC NET-JRF 2021 in Defence and Strategic Studies.

Study being undertaken in National Security and Strategic Studies, with specific focus on confluence of traditional and non-traditional national security paradigms.

Areas of interest include military affairs, Defence materiel transfers, civil-military relations and state stability & political security.

Mr. IN Sokhuon is a Ph.D. scholar under the supervision of Prof. C. Vinodan at the School of International Relations and Politics (SIRP), Mahatma Gandhi University. He holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Law, and brings over a decade of professional experience in legal advocacy, youth empowerment, and community development across Cambodia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Currently, he serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies (ICCS).

His doctoral research focuses on Indian and Chinese soft power strategies in Southeast Asia, with particular emphasis on diplomacy, cultural relations, aid development, educational exchanges, and infrastructure engagement. He has contributed to academic publications and presented papers at several international conferences.

Mr. Sokhuon’s areas of specialization include Chinese foreign policy, ASEAN regionalism, legal frameworks of international cooperation, and democracy promotion in the Global South. He has been actively involved in organizing and coordinating academic dialogues under ICCS and SIRP. He is also committed to bridging the gap between complex academic research and public understanding through policy-relevant writing and digital media.

Devi Chandana M. is a Young scholar in strategic and security studies, specializing in the Indo-Pacific region. She graduated with First Rank from Mahatma Gandhi University’s School of International Relations and Politics, earning a Master’s degree in Politics and International Relations. Her research expertise encompasses Indo-Pacific strategy, India-China competition in the Indian Ocean, geostrategic importance of littoral states, China’s rising global influence, and urbanization in China. Her Master’s thesis, “India-China Competition in the Indian Ocean: A Case Study of Sri Lanka,” demonstrated her in-depth understanding of regional geopolitics.

Ms. Ardra V S completed her M.A. and M.Phil. from Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam. She was the guest faculty of Christ College Irinjalakkuda and C S.I Law College Kanakkari. Her area of interest is Chinese Studies. She completed her M.Phil. thesis about Regional Ethnic Autonomy in China: Special Reference to Xinjiang Region. Now, she is working on the area of the poverty alleviation process in China and the strategies implemented by China, she is also looking into how poverty-ridden countries, can study the poverty alleviation process in China.

Sohini Mandal is a professional in the field of geopolitical risk and intelligence analysis. She has recently graduated from the Central University of Gujarat with a Master of Arts in Defence and Strategic Studies. Her final thesis examined India-China maritime relations and competition with regards to Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. She is interested in the military and strategic developments in the Asia Pacific region and works closely to monitor the developments.

Marcel M. Schwarz is a doctoral candidate at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. At DCU he works on assessing party politics in modern India and the extension of the
voter base in the case of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). From September to December 2024 he undertook fieldwork in Kerala and was hosted by MG University Kottayam.
He earned his Master’s degree in Modern Indian Studies from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, with a study-abroad-term at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Indian Studies from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, having also spent a semester abroad at the Universidad Pública de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.
Prior to commencing his PhD at DCU he worked at the Karl Kübel Stiftung, in Bensheim, Germany in the department of development cooperation.
His areas of research interest are mainly situated at the intersection of party politics, identity politics and voting behaviour, with a special emphasis on contemporary India.