The first panel discussion was held on 24 October 2024 at Christ University, with Prof. Deepa Ollapally from George Washington University providing an insightful overview on “U.S. Presidential Elections and Relations with India: What's at Stake?”
The second discussion, conducted virtually on 12 December 2024, featured Prof. Danny Hayes, Prof. Sandeep Shastri, and Prof. Sanjay Kumar, who explored “Voting Trends, Campaign Issues, and the American Electoral System,” offering nuanced and comparative perspectives.
On 23 January 2025, the third panel discussion brought together Prof. Russell Riley from the University of Virginia and Mr. George K. Varghese from The Hindu to examine “Historical, Contemporary, and Comparative Perspectives of U.S. Elections and the Transfer of Power.”
During the execution of the project, the organizing team at Christ University noticed high levels of engagement among student attendees. Students showed a desire for continued dialogue and deeper learning. In response, the organizers initiated a weekly study group focused on the U.S. political system and democratic processes. The group includes undergraduate, postgraduate students, and doctoral scholars primarily from Political Science and International Studies. Over time, the study circle organically expanded to include scholars from various other disciplines, reflecting the interdisciplinary appeal of the discussions. This diversity enriched the conversations and allowed for a more holistic understanding of American democracy. The sessions were conducted in an informal, discussion-oriented format, which encouraged participants to ask questions freely and express their opinions without any inhibitions. The weekly elections review meetings proved particularly helpful in building capacity among the students of Christ University. Participants gathered to discuss real-time updates from the U.S. primaries and elections and made short presentations on a wide range of topics such as presidential nominations of judges, tax concessions, preferential trade agreements, and the system of checks and balances in the American electoral process. These activities fostered critical thinking, cross-national comparison, and a deeper appreciation of democratic structures and functions.