Uka and Nalini Solanki Lecture Series

The Solanki Lecture is an endowed lecture series established by Uka and Nalini Solanki, with the express intention of inviting a distinguished individual to discuss South Asia related topics.

PROFILE OF SPEAKERS

2003: ARVIND PANAGARIYA
           
The inaugural Solanki Lecture, featured economist Arvind Panagariya, Bhagwati Professor of Economics at Columbia. He spoke on comparative development issues between China and India. The title of his talk was “Why India Lags Behind China and What To Do About It.” 
More about Dr. Arvind Panagariya: http://www.columbia.edu/~ap2231/

2004: SUNITI SOLOMON
           
The second Solanki Lecture, featured one of India’s most distinguished HIV/AIDS researchers, Dr. Suniti Solomon. This lecture was attended by 200 people. The title of Dr. Solomon’s talk was “Shaping the Response to the AIDS Epidemic in India and Engaging in a Culturally Appropriate Plan of Action.”
More about Dr. Suniti Solomon: http://www.yrgcare.org/overview/dr.suniti.htm

2005: RICHARD GARNICK
           
The third Solanki Lecture featured Richard Garnick, CEO of WIPRO Technologies. This event was attended by 250 people. The title of his talk was “India, Outsourcing and Globalization.”
More about Richard Garnick: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2006/tc20060321_296404.htm

2006: SAM PITRODA
           
The fourth Solanki lecture, featured Sam Pitroda, currently chairman of India's National Knowledge Commission. Mr. Pitroda is also largely considered to have been responsible for India's communications revolution. The title of his talk was “India's Knowledge Society in the 21st Century: The CSU-Knowledge Commission Collaboration.”
More about Sam Pitroda: http://www.indobase.com/indians-abroad/sam-pitroda.html

2007: SUKETU MEHTA
           
The fifth Solanki lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, 2007. It will feature Suketu Mehta, acclaimed journalist and playwright. His book Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. Mr. Mehta will talk about how novelists and journalists deal with moral complexity, by bringing in his own experiences, and his approach to characters. He'll also touch on the differences between fiction and nonfiction. The title of his upcoming talk is “Dealing with Moral Complexity, or, What is a Writer's Dharma?”
More about Suketu Mehta: http://www.suketumehta.com/