“I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India, one of the world’s leading conferences on geopolitics and geoeconomics,” says Antonia Baskakov (MSFS’25), who traveled to New Delhi for the Raisina-IE Global Student Challenge competition over a week in March. “Hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Indian government, the Dialogue brings together global leaders, policymakers, and scholars to address today’s most pressing challenges.”
Baskakov and the other participants, brought together from 50 leading schools of government and international affairs from across eight regions and 125 countries, were broken into 10 teams of five students each. The teams worked together virtually developing a case for a month before traveling to India to present their policy proposals, which focused on the theme “Building Bridges: Mitigating the North-South Divide.” A highlight for Baskakov was engaging with the jury, which included former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper!
She shared a key takeaway from her team’s proposal focusing on multilateralism and the digital divide: “The digital divide is not just about access; it is about power. To bridge this gap, we need a multilateral approach to digital governance—one that prioritizes equitable access, recognizes the agency of the Global South and challenges the monopolies of both state and corporate powers.”
Baskakov also appreciated the engagements beyond the conference, with a visit to the Taj Mahal and receptions hosted by the Spanish and German ambassadors. H.E. Juan Antonio March Pujol, Spain’s ambassador to India, even personally served the paella!
She says: “I am deeply grateful to the Observer Research Foundation and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service for making this experience possible—and for opening doors to moments like this.”