Professor of Practice of Diplomacy and Public Affairs,
School of Public and Environmental Affairs,
Indiana University

Research Interests
International relations and diplomacy, its practice and multiple dimensions; non-profit sector and philanthropy and research and academics
Professional Career
Diplomacy
Ambassador Rajendra Abhyankar since 2013 is Professor of Practice of Diplomacy and Public Affairs at The School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington. The School is the No. 1 public policy school in the United States.
He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1968 and retired in August 2005 as India’s Ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg. He was Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs Government of India from 2001 to 2004.
Since retirement Ambassador Abhyankar has been involved a in a range of work non-profit and corporate organizations, academics and Track II non-official inter-governmental dialogue. He has been a member of number of Indian government committees e.g. the official India-European Union Round-Table on Civil Society, the India-EU High Level Trade Group and the Ministry of North East Region’s Steering Committee on the 2020 Vision Document for the seven Indian states in India’s north-east.
Philanthropy
• Adviser (2009-2011) and Director ,India Programs(2005-2009) , The Asia Foundation(TAF), San Francisco, a non-profit, non-governmental US Foundation which supports NGO’s in Asia
• President of the Hinduja Foundation, Mumbai (2006-2009) a philanthropic Trust linked to the global Hinduja Group.
• Trustee Jai Ho Trust, set up by Danny Boyle and Charles Colson, the producer and director of the Academy Award winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’
• Trustee,India Heritage Trust, Mumbai set up for strengthening archaeological research and preservation in India
• Trustee, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune India’s foremost institution on Indology, Indian Philosophy and research in Sanskrit language
Academics
• Visiting Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Bloomington 2013-14.
• Adjunct Professor School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Bloomington August –December 2012.
• Diplomat-in-Residence, Center for American and Global Security, Indiana University-Bloomington January-May 2011
• Professor and Director, Centre for West Asian (Middle East) Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia University , New Delhi,(2005-2008) The Centre was set up in July 2004 and was formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India on 29 January 2005.As its first Director he laid the foundation of its mission.
• Chairman, Kunzru Centre for Defence Studies and Research, Pune, India a private think-tank on defence and security issues.
Education
2014 Doctoral Student at University of Pune, India: field of study- Syria
1966-68 Worked on Ph.D. in Economics at the Centre for Industrial Economics, Department of Economics, University of Bombay [1966-1968].
At the same time, he also worked on a path-breaking report on India’s Industrial Licensing Policy for the Ministry of Industrial Development, Government of India [1966]
1966 MA [Economics], University of Delhi.
1964 BA [Honours] [Economics] St. Stephens College, University of Delhi.

Publications/Books
Publications
Books
In process:

1. For OUP a book on ‘Indian Diplomacy: Practice and Precepts. Likely date of publication June 2017
2. Work in progress on ‘Syria: the tragedy of a pivotal state’ for publication Jan 2018

Published:

3. “ Afghanistan post-2014: India’s Options and Challenges: ed. Shrikant Paranjpe and Rajendra Abhyankar, Kalinga Publishers, New Delhi, 2015
4. ‘The Battle-field of Peace: A Politico-Military Account of the United Nations Peace-keeping in Congo 1961-63 by M.G. Abhyankar & Rajendra Abhyankar, New Delhi, 2014
5. ‘Sri Lanka-India: Future Imperfect’ by Shrikant Paranjpe and Rajendra Abhyankar, GB Books, New Delhi 2014
6. ‘The Crossing’, a novel, by Rajendra Abhyankar, iUniverse, Bloomington 2013
7. ‘Stuff Happens: An Anecdotal Insight into Indian Diplomacy’ by Rajendra Abhyankar, Har-Anand Publishers, New Delhi 2013
8. ‘West Asia and the Region: Defining India’s Role’ edited Rajendra.M.Abhyankar, Academic Publishers, New Delhi 2008
OTHER INTERESTS Ambassador Abhyankar is a frequent speaker and contributor on India, Middle-East and other international issues at universities, think-tanks and public affairs forums and media in India and abroad.
LANGUAGES Fluent, active: English, French and Italian
Passive and spoken: Arabic, Turkish and Greek.
He also knows four Indian languages