Amitabh Mattoo
Professor Amitabh Mattoo (Kashmiri: अमिताभ मट्टू (Devanagari), امیتابھ مٹو (Nastaleeq), born 26 June 1962 in Srinagar) is one of India's leading thinkers and writers on international relations. He is currently the inaugural Director of the Australia India Institute and Professor of International Relations at the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1] He is on leave from New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University where he serves as a Professor of International Studies.[2] Mattoo has been a Member of the National Knowledge Commission, a high-level advisory group to the Prime Minister of India, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu.[3]
Professor Mattoo is also President of the Indian Association of International Studies. From November 2002 until early December 2008, Amitabh Mattoo was the youngest ever Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, and among the youngest Vice Chancellors in the history of independent India.
Professor Mattoo serves on the Council of the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR),[4] the Governing council of Pugwash, the Nobel prize winning NGO, on the Academic Advisory Committee of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and is a Director of the India-Afghanistan Foundation (established by the governments of India and Afghanistan). Mattoo is a member of the Academic Council of Vishwabharti University as well as the Executive Council of the Central University of Karnataka. Professor Mattoo was a member of India's National Security Council's Advisory Board and a member of the task force constituted by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Global Strategic Developments. The Task Force examined global trends in strategic affairs and their implications for India.
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[edit] Early life and education
Amitabh Mattoo had his early education in Burn Hall School, Srinagar and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He earned a D. Phil in International Relations from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Mattoo qualified for the Indian Police Service in 1987 through the combined civil service exam but preferred a career in academics.
[edit] Career
He has been visiting Professor at Stanford University, USA, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has been Chairperson of the Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Nuclear policy, India-US relations, India -Pakistan ties and Kashmir are a few of the fields in which Mattoo's contribution will be recognised. Professor Mattoo's has published books on India's nuclear policy and India-Pakistan relations and has written on Kashmir. Mattoo has published ten books and more than 100 research articles (including in journals like Survival and Asian Survey). He writes for Indian newspapers, including The Telegraph and The Hindu and is a commentator on television.
Professor Mattoo became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu in November 2002 and continued in this position until December 2008.
As a patron of the arts, Mattoo was responsible for building a world-class auditorium in Jammu university, which also hosts an art gallery and a museum. Leading artists of India, including Jogen Chaudhary, have donated their work to the gallery. As President of the J&K chapter of SPIC-Macay, Mattoo was responsible for the University becoming a centre of culture.
Mattoo's attempts at conflict resolution and peace building(combining theory with practice) have been publicly acclaimed. He was a member of the committee, appointed by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 2008, which negotiated the controversial Amarnath land transfer row, which had led to uprisings in Jammu and Kashmir.[5]
On 3 February 2011, in a meeting with India's Education Minister Kapil Sibal, Mattoo declined to be the Founding Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu — for which he had been selected by a search committee of eminent academics and approved by the President of India — citing personal reasons.[6] Earlier, he was in the shortlist of three for the Vice Chancellorship of Jawaharlal Nehru University.[7] The Human Resources Development Ministry, however, took the view that a scientist needed to be the Vice Chancellor.On 1 March 2011 the University of Melbourne appointed Professor Amitabh Mattoo as the inaugural Director of the Australia India Institute.The Chairman of the Institute Board, University of Melbourne Chancellor the Hon. Alex Chernov AO QC (now Governor of Victoria) said: “We are delighted to have as Director a person of world renowned academic and administrative calibre such as Professor Mattoo. He has a wealth of experience in areas concerned with university affairs, government and other institutions."[8] Mattoo will lso serve as a Professor of International Relations in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. On 26 June 2011, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made an open offer to noted academician Amitabh Mattoo to return to the state and ‘advise us’.[9]
[edit] Awards
Recognizing his contribution to education and public life, the President of India honoured Professor Mattoo on the occasion of the Republic Day (2008) with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian awards, the first time a Vice-chancellor in Jammu and Kashmir has been so honoured.[10]
Professor Amitabh Mattoo was awarded the Qimpro Platinum Standard Award (2008)and was recognised as a National Statesman for his work in the field of education along with Mr Anand Mahindra who was awarded for his leadership in business.[11] In 2008, "In recognition of his achievements in the fields of academics and international relations and for serving the people of Jammu & Kashmir dedicatedly, Prof Mattoo was declared Person of the Year by Shehjar
[edit] References
- ^ "Professor Amitabh Mattoo | Australia India Institute". Aii.unimelb.edu.au. http://www.aii.unimelb.edu.au/people/staff/professor-amitabh-mattoo. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ "Prof. Amitabh Mattoo". Jnu.ac.in. http://www.jnu.ac.in/Faculty/amattoo/. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ "Separatists silent on Musharraf’s memoir". The Tribune. 29 September 2006. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060929/j&k.htm. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- ^ "About Us-Members of Governing Body". Icwa.in. http://www.icwa.in/members_governing.html. Retrieved 2011-08-19.
- ^ "JK Governor appoints four member panel to end Jammu stalemate". Southasiatimes.in. 2008-08-07. http://www.southasiatimes.in/world/india/570-jk-governor-appoints-four-member-panel-to-end-jammu-stalemate.html. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ Aarti Dhar (2011-02-04). "Today's Paper / NATIONAL : Amitabh Mattoo declines to take over as Vice-Chancellor". The Hindu. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article1154769.ece. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ "New Delhi News : Amitabh Mattoo on short list for JNU V-C". The Hindu. 2010-12-18. http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/18/stories/2010121864240900.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ "Prof Amitabh Mattoo as Director The Australia India Institute". Theindian.net.au. 2009-09-01. http://theindian.net.au/504/. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ GreaterKashmir.com (Greater Service) (2011-06-28). "Amitabh Mattoo welcome back to Kashmir says Omar". Greaterkashmir.com. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Jun/28/amitabh-mattoo-welcome-back-to-kashmir-says-omar-68.asp. Retrieved 2011-08-19.
- ^ "Padma Shri Awardees - Padma Awards - My India, My Pride - Know India: National Portal of India". India.gov.in. http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=90. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ^ "After Ratan Tata, Qimpro Foundation awarded Prof. Amitabh Mattoo Qimpro Platinum Standard 2008 |". Theindiapost.com. 2008-11-26. http://theindiapost.com/education/jammu-university/after-ratan-tata-qimpro-foundation-awarded-prof-amitabh-mattoo-qimpro-platinum-standard-2008/. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
