Global South Strategy Lab: Institutions, Alignments, and Development Pathways

This program situates India at the center of debates about multipolar order and development sovereignty. Students begin by unpacking the conceptual ambiguity of the Global South. Is it a moral claim, a diplomatic coalition, or a structural economic category?

Historical sessions trace European dominance, extraction economies, and the architecture of post war global governance. A comparative doctrine lab uses the Monroe Doctrine to examine how great powers historically rationalize spheres of influence.

In an economic hub module, students analyze development models, trade partnerships, and growth narratives. Policy reading sessions examine India China tensions, stabilization efforts, and the limits of alignment politics.

Returning to New Delhi, students synthesize geopolitical, economic, and institutional insights into structured strategy memos grounded in comparative analysis.

The journey concludes with comparative synthesis, examining divergence between policy design and field realities.

Students will:

Distinguish between rhetorical solidarity and institutional cooperation within South–South frameworks.
Analyze development finance and trade partnerships as instruments of geopolitical leverage.
Compare historical power doctrines with contemporary strategic autonomy narratives.
Ask critical questions such as:
- Who benefits from multipolar rhetoric and who bears its costs?
Evaluate claims of Global South leadership through sector-specific case studies including maritime diplomacy, energy security, and digital infrastructure.
Construct a structured policy memo assessing whether the Global South constitutes a durable geopolitical category.
Translate historical and economic analysis into forward-looking strategic recommendations.

Political Science

Security Studies

Development Economics

Public Policy

Global Governance

Business Strategy

Comparative Politics

Area Studies

Law

New Delhi

Economic Hub City (Mumbai / Hyderabad)

Policy & Research Institutions

Industry & Trade Ecosystem Nodes

Day	Location	Academic Focus & Activities	Learning Emphasis
1	New Delhi	Arrival; program framing; defining the Global South	Establish conceptual clarity
2	New Delhi	Seminar on South South cooperation and institutional reform debates	Clarifying development frameworks
3–4	New Delhi	Case sessions on European dominance and decolonization; institutional mapping lab	Linking history to governance architecture
5	New Delhi	Comparative doctrine lab using the Monroe Doctrine as hemispheric power logic	Applying comparative historical analysis
6–8	Economic Hub City	Industry and policy exposure; trade and growth narratives; India China stabilization reading session	Connecting geopolitics to economic infrastructure
9	Economic Hub City	Africa and Indian Ocean diplomacy module; maritime and corridor mapping exercise	Expanding South South arenas beyond slogans
10	New Delhi	Return; strategic autonomy workshop; alignment and non alignment debate lab	Evaluating policy positioning
11	New Delhi	Institutional reform dialogue; stakeholder analysis workshop	Refining governance literacy
12	New Delhi	Synthesis studio and strategy memo drafting lab	Producing faculty-ready outputs
13	New Delhi	Departure	Closure