Economic Minister Counselor, US Embassy, Delivers Lecture on "Barack Obama & Indo-US Relations" at FMS, Delhi

Economic Minister Counselor, US Embassy, Delivers Lecture on "Barack Obama & Indo-US Relations" at FMS, Delhi

The 44th President of the United States has managed to engage the interest of the entire world, and India is no exception. Barack Hussein Obama has captured the imagination of even ordinary Indian citizens in a way never seen before.

To understand more about this phenomenon and also their charismatic new leader, the US Embassy in India organized a talk on "Barack Obama & Indo-US Relations" on the 21st January 2009 at the Faculty of Management Studies, New Delhi. Mr. John Davison, Economic Minister Counselor at the US Embassy in New Delhi came down to the FMS campus to share his insights on the topic and took questions on the expected impact of the new administration on relations with India.

Mr. John Davison began his service as Economic Minister Counselor at the US Embassy in New Delhi in August 2006. From 2003-06 he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Niamey, Niger. Mr. Davison served twice at the US Mission to the UN, first as Political Adviser on Iraq and the Middle East (1997-99), and subsequently as Deputy US Representative on the UN Economic & Social Council (2000-03). During previous postings, Mr. Davison served as the Deputy Economic Counselor in Cairo, Egypt, and as Economic Officer in Madagascar, Singapore and Guinea-Bissau.

Mr. Davison started off by speaking at length on the importance that Americans attach to the Presidential Elections as it is the closest thing to royalty that they have known. The swearing-in ceremony has always been an event to look forward to for most Americans. However, this year even non-Americans look keen interest in the event, making it a truly international event. The youth especially have taken to President Obama, a natural development with him being the youngest US President since the days of the legendary John F Kennedy. But it's not only Obama but also his young family that has infused a fresh dimension to the image of the Presidency.

Mr. Davison then went on to Mr. Obama's inaugural address, discussing the major points that were made. A good part of the address was devoted to the present financial crisis, making it the single most important task ahead of the new president. Mr. Obama stressed on the need to find solutions from within rather than looking outward for quick fixes.

Mr. Davison emphasized on how President Obama has looked to reach out to the Muslim world and start afresh from the policies of the previous regime. He also mentioned India and the need to work closer with the largest and oldest democracy of the world.

The questions that followed were of a mixed variety ranging from environment policies to fiscal measures. Most of the students shared the hope and promise that Obama stood for and wanted a deeper understanding of what a change in regime meant for not only India but also the world at large. Quite expectedly, the students were concerned about Obama's stance on the outsourcing issue as it is very close to India. Similarly, there were plenty of questions on the steps that will be taken to stop the current financial meltdown and to tackle terrorism. Mr. Davison tried to answer all the questions in detail and to the best that he could.

Mr. Davison ended by touching the sticky topic of Pakistan and left the satisfied gathering to ponder over the various issues that were discussed.

Concluded.

Contributed by -
Mufeed ur Rahman,
Associate Member,
Media Relations,
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi.

MBA Alumni \| MBA Students \| MBA Aspirants \| MBA Forums