About the Author

Professor V. Shivkumar is an eminent academic, former Vice Chancellor, and founder of pioneering academic institutions in India. With over four decades of distinguished service in teaching, research, and university leadership, he has specialized in International Relations, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and U.S. foreign policy.

As Founder-Director of the Centre for Latin American and International Studies at Goa University, he built one of India’s leading platforms for Latin American scholarship, establishing collaborations with national and international universities. His pioneering work in promoting Indo-Latin American academic relations contributed to the Government of India’s Focus LAC policy, aimed at strengthening ties with Latin America and the Caribbean.

As Vice Chancellor of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Maha Vidyalaya, he led holistic academic and administrative reforms, initiating innovative interdisciplinary programs and forging partnerships with BITS Pilani and universities in Mexico and Europe.

Internationally, Professor Shivkumar served as a Colombo Plan Expert in Bhutan, contributed to U.S. academic forums through the prestigious U.S. Government International Visitors Program, and undertook lecture tours across Latin America. Within India, he served as an Expert and Advisor to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of national civil service officers, and contributed to higher education policy through his leadership roles in UGC committees and accreditation councils.

A public intellectual and thought leader, he has been a prominent voice on national television and in the press, commenting on international affairs, Latin American studies, and higher education reform. He is also the Founder of the Indo-Latin American and Caribbean Association for International Trade and Cultural Cooperation, promoting economic and cultural ties between India and Latin America.

Professor Shivkumar’s contributions have been recognized with the ICCR Lifetime Achievement Award and the Certificate of Commendation awarded by the High Commissioners and Ambassadors of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) in India for his decades of dedicated service. He has authored several books, delivered distinguished lectures across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and continues to advance education, leadership, and global dialogue through The Shivkumar Institute.

He currently divides his time between Switzerland, Washington, D.C., and India, continuing his academic, advisory, and intellectual engagements globally. He can be reached at prof_shiv@yahoo.com.