The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
On 11 Jan 2024, the Centre for Strategic Studies and Simulation (CS3), United Service Institution (USI) of India organised an informal Round Table Discussion with RAND Corporation. The RAND Corporation Delegation was headed by Dr Rafiq Dossani, Director at the RAND Centre for Asia Pacific Policy, and Ms Cortney Weinbaum, Senior Management Scientist at RAND and Professor of Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. The USI Delegation was headed by Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd), Director General, USI along with Maj Gen RS Yadav, VSM (Retd), Director CS3. The discussion was attended by Centre Heads of various departments at USI, along with Senior Research Fellows.
RAND Corporation Delegation
Key Takeaways:
· The discussion basically focused on identifying the areas of research and activities of RAND Corporation as well as of the USI by tracing the trajectory of their genesis, understanding of the respective organisations and their methodologies for undertaking projects/assignments.
· Diverse areas of collaboration were discussed, with a focus on addressing the challenges arising from the current geo-political landscape, as well as the implications of emergence of niche and disruptive technologies across various domains.
Welcome Remarks by Maj Gen RS Yadav, VSM (Retd)
· Prospects of academic collaboration were considered, through the process of mutual consultation to include promotion of exchange of ideas, cooperation in research endeavours, enhancement of researchers' skills along with sharing of expertise, resources, and knowledge.
Exchanging Tokens of Appreciation
Group Photograph
Report by: Ms Nandini Agarwal, Research Intern, CS3, USI