Lecture by Professor Badrul Alam @ ICPS

Topic: “US under Trump 2.0: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions for India and the World”

On 29 April 2025, the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS) had the privilege of hosting Professor Badrul Alam for a lecture titled “US under Trump 2.0: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions for India and the World.” Professor Alam is a distinguished scholar of Political Science and International Relations, having held several prominent academic positions in India and abroad, including serving as Head of the Department of Political Science at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

In his lecture, Professor Alam offered a nuanced analysis of Donald Trump’s second presidency and its implications for global politics, with a particular focus on India. While examining the US President’s foreign policy approach through the lens of major schools of IR theory—Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism— he highlighted how each offers a different perspective on Trump’s disruptive global posture and inward-looking nationalism.

Professor Alam further analysed India’s evolving position within both global and regional geopolitics, highlighting New Delhi’s balancing act between strategic autonomy and its growing alignment with the United States, especially in the context of a shifting world order characterised by rising multipolarity and great-power competition.

The lecture also discussed key policy options that India might consider in the face of evolving geopolitical dynamics. These included recalibrating its foreign policy priorities, strengthening regional cooperation in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and reinforcing its commitment to multilateralism while hedging against unpredictable shifts in US foreign policy.

The lecture was followed by an animated discussion between the speaker and the ICPS scholars and guests, delving into a range of pressing issues, including India’s foreign policy trajectory under a changing global leadership, the resilience of multilateral institutions in the Trump era, and the future of India-US strategic relations.

The ICPS would like to express gratitude to Professor Alam for this engaging session.

Event Photographs