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, Kottayam. Currently, he is in China on behalf of his research. He also completed his M.A and M. Phil in International Relations and Politics from the same University. 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.

PhD Scholar engaged under Prof. Dr. C Vinodan. UGC NET-JRF 2021 awardee. Area of study undertaken is majorly in Security and Strategic Studies. Focus on non-traditional security, Defence transfers and issues concerning National and Human security.

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.