JNU’s School of International Studies to mark 70 years with Aravalli Summit

The two-day summit will provide a platform for academics, policymakers and practitioners to deliberate on India’s evolving role in the world

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)’s School of International Studies (SIS) will mark its 70th anniversary with the Aravalli Summit on October 6–7, 2025, featuring alumnus and external affairs minister S Jaishankar as the keynote speaker. JNU chancellor ambassador Kanwal Sibal is also expected to attend.

Since its founding in 1955 and subsequent merger with JNU in 1970, SIS has sought to combine academic rigor with policy relevance, training generations of diplomats, policymakers and scholars.(JNU)

“From pioneering area studies to shaping national debates on nuclear policy, regionalism and global governance, SIS has nurtured generations of scholars and policymakers who have strengthened India’s voice in the global south and beyond,” the university said in a note.

Amitabh Mattoo, dean of SIS, traced the institution’s origins: “The school began its journey in 1955, when India was barely a decade old. Its leaders had the foresight to realise that diplomacy could not be sustained on instinct alone. India needed an institution to train minds capable of interpreting the world, not just mimicking it. Thus was born the Indian School of International Studies under the Indian Council of World Affairs.”

Since its founding in 1955 and subsequent merger with JNU in 1970, SIS has sought to combine academic rigor with policy relevance, training generations of diplomats, policymakers and scholars.