The Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences & Liberal Arts (FHSL) organized the Introductory Lecture under the Distinguished Speaker Series on April 17, 2025. The idea behind this series is to invite eminent personalities from multidimensional domains, with a special focus on Humanities and Social Sciences among others, to the SGT University campus and deliver lectures from their diverse and longstanding experiences. This also provides a solid and tangible platform for the eminent personalities to interact with students, faculty members, and research scholars for not only academic and intellectual enrichment but also professional networking for opportunities in higher studies/internships and placements.

The distinguished speaker who visited SGT University on April 17, 2025 was Dr. Arvind Gupta, a member of the Indian Foreign Service 1979 batch. Dr. Gupta is currently the Director of the prestigious Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi. As a stellar diplomat, Dr. Gupta held several important positions, including that of Deputy National Security Adviser under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his first term (2014-17). Other prominent positions held by Dr. Gupta were Secretary, National Security Council, Government of India, and also Director General of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Dr. Gupta also served in senior positions in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Indian missions abroad.

On the occasion of the Introductory Lecture of the Distinguished Speaker Series Dr. Arvind Gupta delivered his Keynote Address on the topic The Rising Stature of India as a Global Power in Shaping the Trajectory of Emerging World Order. This topic is extremely significant in the context of unprecedented changes marked by strategic alliances and rifts happening in contemporary global geopolitics. In this scenario India stands as a lighthouse of hope and geostrategic stability, not only as the voice of the Global South but also successfully negotiating with the Global North on major global challenges. As one of the most prominent defence powers in the world in conjunction with being one of the fastest moving economies, the strategic role and significance in determining the roadmap of emerging world order is not only paramount but also widely recognized by the international community.

Keeping this ground situation into perspective, the keynote address immensely enlightened the audience on the topic and provided great platform for intellectual enrichment and knowledge dissemination. The response of SGT University students was overwhelming, and they asked important questions to the Distinguished Guest during the Question-Answer Session.