Vaccines: Emerging Viral Outbreaks

Speaker: Dr. Virander Singh Chauhan, distinguished scientist, Chancellor of GITAM Deemed to be University, Rhodes Scholar and recipient of the Padma Shri awardee (2012). He is known for his contributions to the development of a recombinant vaccine for malaria and for synthetic structural peptides with biological functions.

Moderator: Prof. (Dr.) Narendra Kumar Arora, Professor, Chief Scientist & Mentor, The INCLEN Trust International, New Delhi and President, AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

The talk will explore the growing importance of preventive vaccines in addressing emerging viral threats such as Ebola, hantavirus and Nipah virus. It will examine the scientific and economic challenges of vaccine development, recent advances in vaccine technology, and issues of affordability, access, public trust and equitable distribution, highlighting the need for preparedness against future outbreaks.
 

Book Discussion Group

The Quiet that Remains: A poetic mapping of memory and emotion

By Usha Mujoo Munshi (‎Vitasta, 2026)

Chair: K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Discussants: Dr Lakshmi Kannan, Poet, Novelist, Bilingual Writer; Mridula Garg, Writer & Poet; Sunit Tandon, President, Delhi Music Society; Amb Amarendra Khatua, Poet & Former Director, ICCR; Jayashree Misra Tripathi, Poet & Writer; Dr. Usha Mujoo Munshi, Author of the book

Readings by  Prof. Sukrita Paul Kumar; Prof. Swati Pal; Prof. Nandini C Sen; Gauri Shankar Raina; Dr Payal Nagpal; Mandira Ghosh; Achla Bansal; Sangeeta Gupta

Introduction: Dr Maya ‘Parijat’

 

Building Resilient Relations: People as Stakeholders

Speaker: H.E. Riaz Hamidullah, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India

Moderator: Dr Ashok Behuria, Chairman, Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi.

People are central to bilateral relations. Bound by centuries of shared history and culture, human connections give depth, resilience, and direction to enduring ties between nations.

(Collaboration: Centre for Peace Studies)
 

Unconfined

By Ravi Shail, Delhi-based artist and photographer. Recipient of Lalit Kala Akademi National Academy Award and the National Photography Award (Govt. of India)

The idea that art exists beyond conventional boundaries and can be discovered in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Through mixed-media works inspired by photographs, the exhibition invites viewers to pause, observe and engage with familiar forms in new ways.

The exhibition will be inaugurated on Friday, 14th August’26 at 18:00 hrs by Amb Shyam Saran, President, IIC

An open conversation titled ‘Photography: What Next?” is scheduled be on 19 August at 15:00 hrs at the Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex with Ashish Chawla, Ravi Dhingra, Ravi Shail, Manoj Jain, Sanjay Das, Maneesh Aggarwal and Ashwani Prithviwasi to discuss the future of photography in the age of emerging technology and AI.

The exhibition will remain open daily from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

MUSIC APPRECIATION PROMOTION

The Teaching Legacy of Franz Liszt                                                                                                                 Illustrated lecture by Francesca Khalifa

Franz Liszt, a master of the piano, composer, and the father of the modern concept of the "piano recital", was also a prolific teacher. This lecture will explore the lineage through the work of modern musicians connected to the tradition via the teaching of Claudio Arrau, a student of Krause who embraced and structured the core elements of Liszt’s philosophy and approach.

The conversation will be followed with the screening of the documentary Piano Lessons: The Life and Art of Germán Diez, based on Khalifa’s research on Diez’s background and musical legacy.

Francesca Khalifa, an Italian-Egyptian concert pianist, researcher and educator. Her research work focuses on passing on the piano tradition inherited by Franz Liszt through the teachings of her late mentor, Germán Diez
 

LIVING LANDSCAPES 
Conceptualized by Anuj Srivastava

Art as Ecology: Learning from the Ecosystems of the Western Ghats
Speaker: By Arunkumar H G, Artist, Conservationist

The talk will be followed by a Panel Discussion

Moderator: Anuj Srivastava, Architect, Writer and Photographer

Discussants: Vijay Dhasmana, Rewilder and Ecological Restoration Practitioner; Ghazala Shahabuddin, Ecologist and Author

The talk and discussion will focus on how artistic practice can foster ecological consciousness and community engagement, drawing from Arunkumar's conservation work with SARA and its initiatives in ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and environmental education.

(This is the eigth talk in the series on Living Landscape)

Amma’s Way: A Journey to Embrace the World Again
(2022; 85 minutes; English)

Directed by Anna Agnelli  
 

A documentary that follows the life and humanitarian work of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, widely known as Amma or "The Hugging Saint." The film explores how one person's message of love and care has inspired millions around the world, inviting reflection on the power of kindness and our shared responsibility toward one another in an increasingly divided world.

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)
 

Book Discussion Group

The Unbecoming: Let Life Reveal its Purpose

By Kartikeya Vajpai (‎Penguin eBury Press, 2025)

Kartikeya Vajpeyi in conversation with Neelima Dalmia Adhar, Author and Convener for Delhi NCR at the Prabha Khaitan Foundation
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Jayaprakash Narayan: The People's Leader. 
By Arvinder Singh (Niyogi Books, 2026)

Chair: Vinod Sharma, former Political Editor, Hindustan Times

Discussants: Prof Apoorvanand, Professor, DU; Sanjay Hegde, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court; Qurban Ali, Journalist; Arvindar Singh, Author of the book

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Is This the Time for the Indian Elephant and the Chinese Dragon to Dance Together?
Edited by Surendra Kumar (Har-Anand Publications, 2026)

Chair: K. N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Discussants: Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP & Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs; Amb. Ashok Kantha, Former High Commissioner to Malaysia and Sri Lanka; Prof. Raja Mohan, Writer and Professor at Jindal University