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Speculating on Development: Transnational Circuits of Accumulation in Coastal Andhra

Speculating on Development: Transnational Circuits of Accumulation in Coastal Andhra

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Event Title
Speculating on Development: Transnational Circuits of Accumulation in Coastal Andhra
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<strong>Centre for the Study of Social Systems School of Social Sciences </strong> Seminar Notice <strong>Prof. Carol Upadhya</strong> (National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore) a talk on <strong>Speculating on Development: Transnational Circuits of Accumulation in Coastal Andhra</strong> Date:<strong> March 17, 2015 (Tuesday)</strong> <strong>Abstract:</strong> In the months just before and after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014, land values in the core delta districts soared, driven by intense speculative activity in response to circulating and shifting rumours about the possible location of the new state capital. After the decision to establish the capital near Vijayawada was announced several months later, the land market became even more volatile as diverse actors manoeuvred to profit from the proposed construction of a 'world-class city' on the banks of the Krishna River. This story raises questions about the political economy of land in post-liberalisation India, especially the financialisation of agricultural land on the periphery of growing towns. In this presentation, I draw on these recent developments in Andhra to consider why land has become a prime site for the absorption, transformation, and re-circulation of value in the contemporary moment. I trace the trans-regional and transnational connections between local real estate markets and wider circuits of capital accumulation, especially through the agency of regional capital and diasporic actors. This case points to the 'immaterial' sources of value as land is transformed into real estate and gets entangled in circulating imaginaries of development and 'visions' of the future.

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Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.