Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking to students on Saturday, urged young people to engage deeply with global affairs, stressing the importance of shaping the world through active involvement. “We can’t be a spectator, we can’t be an object and playing field for others; we have to be a player too,” Mr Jaishankar said, encouraging students to stay informed about international issues, irrespective of their field of study.
Highlighting the accessibility of information today, Mr Jaishankar remarked, “Whether you study international relations or not, you need to be well informed. The world has come to our homes… It’s both good and bad. When Covid first appeared, you read about something happening in a city in China; who would have thought that two years of our lives would be totally dominated by it? I urge everybody to take an interest in the world, follow what’s happening, and shape it. That’s why we need to be out there. We can’t be a spectator, we can’t be an object and playing field for others; we have to be a player too.” He added that understanding diverse perspectives is crucial in today’s interconnected society.
Mr Jaishankar also emphasised the interdisciplinary essence of diplomacy, underscoring the need for intercultural skills. “Interpersonal and intercultural skills, alongside foreign language proficiency, are critical… allowing us to communicate with the right nuance,” he noted.
The foreign minister also shared his journey from academia to diplomacy, recalling how his father guided him toward a career in applied international relations.
“I did my master’s in International Relations, and at that time, my idea was really to teach. That’s why I pursued more degrees after my master’s. It was during this time that I took the UPSC exam. I could have easily been in the academic stream of International Relations, except that my father, who was in the government, urged me very ‘cleverly’: ‘Do you want to study what other people do, or do you want to do something yourself? If you want to do something yourself, why don’t you look at applied international relations?’ I always wonder how life would have been had we not had that conversation,” he shared.
