Award-winning author Mira Kamdar will be speaking at the 8th annual Uka and Nalini Solanki Foundation Lecture on Thursday in the Karl Anatol Center.
“I believe there is no more critical time for the people of the United States and the people of India to reach out to each other and form synergistic partnerships to address a range of global challenges,” said Kamdar in an e-mail.
Kamdar’s latest book, “Planet India: The Turbulent Rise of the Largest Democracy and the Future of Our World,” talks about how films and technology have made India more relevant around the world.
In addition to being an author, Kamdar is a foreign affairs expert and international commentator.
“The lecture is an opportunity for both students and faculty to learn more about the Indian culture while also providing the opportunity for our community to come to campus to learn about the Yadunandan Center and CSULB,” said Kevin Crowe, executive director of development for the College of Liberal Arts.
The lecture is entitled “Planet India: America’s Stake in India’s Future,” with Kamdar hosting a question and answer session and book signing after.
“[The lecture will be] an hour well spent with two of the biggest democracies in the world,” said Bipasha Baruah, interim director for the Yadunandan Center for India Studies.
Baruah said that the event is important to raise awareness about India studies.
New to the event this year is the D.R. SarDesai essay competition, where students had to respond to a question about the challenges and opportunities in India. The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 prize.
The essay contest is sponsored by the Yadunandan Center with support from the College of Liberal Arts and the Friends of Sardar Patel Association.
The Solanki Foundation provided the endowment for the lecture series, and for the Yadunandun Center, which was established in 2005. The center promotes the study of India and is the first of its kind in California, according to its website.
Previous guest speakers for the lecture series include HIV/AIDS researcher Suniti Solomon and movie director Saeed Akhtar Mirza.
The reception will begin at 6 p.m. and the lecture and book signing will be from 7-9 p.m. Admission is free.
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