The International Relations Council Presents: The Past, Present, and Future of India–Pakistan Relations: Diplomacy Workshop Reimagining Rivalry
Join Princeton’s International Relations Council for a diplomacy workshop on India–Pakistan relations. While rooted in a complex and often volatile history, this session will also focus on what lies ahead: how shifting geopolitical alignments, domestic political transformations, nuclear deterrence dynamics, and evolving security doctrines will shape the trajectory of one of the world’s most consequential bilateral relationships.
Following the talk, participants will engage in an interactive simulation that takes them back to the moment of Partition in 1947. Stepping into the roles of key political leaders and negotiators, participants will grapple with the high-stakes decisions surrounding territorial division, governance, and communal tensions that shaped the creation of India and Pakistan.
Guest Speaker: Dr. Sajid Shapoo
Sajid Shapoo is an alumnus of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a highly decorated senior officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS), with over two decades of experience in counterterrorism, intelligence, and internal security.
Over the course of his career, Shapoo has held several senior leadership positions, including Inspector General of Law & Order, Inspector General of Anti-Naxal Operations, and Additional Director General of Special Armed Forces, where he managed complex internal security challenges and counterinsurgency efforts.
He was also the first officer selected to serve in India’s National Investigation Agency—the country’s premier federal counterterrorism body—where he led and supervised investigations into some of the most significant terrorism cases in India, including the Mumbai terror attacks conspiracy, the Patna serial blasts, and the Bodh Gaya bombings.
For his service, Shapoo has been awarded some of India’s highest policing honors, including the President’s Police Gallantry Medal (twice), recognizing exceptional bravery in the line of duty, as well as the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the Home Minister’s Meritorious Service Medal for his distinguished career.
In addition to his operational experience, Shapoo has contributed to academic and policy discourse on terrorism and security, having taught courses on terrorism and politics at institutions such as Columbia University and the City University of New York. His research and professional expertise focus on terrorism, ideological drivers of political violence, and security dynamics in South Asia, making him uniquely positioned to provide insight into the future of India–Pakistan relations.