Bhushan Ravindra Thakare
Research Scholar Ph.D. International Relations, University of Mumbai.Assistant Professor, Political Science, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Bhushan Ravindra Thakare
Research Scholar Ph.D. International Relations, University of Mumbai.My research quest sits at the core of International Relations, focusing on the ideas, power, and culture in world politics. my work focuses on public diplomacy and strategic studies two fields that help explain how states communicate, build influence, and secure their interests in a complex global order. I have engaged with wider themes of foreign policy and geopolitics, examining how geography, resources, and identity shape national strategies. Over time, my curiosity has expanded toward the intersection of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and culture. I am particularly interested in how economic tools trade, investment, sanctions are used as instruments of statecraft, and how culture functions as both a soft-power resource and a site of contestation.
My approach is analytical as well as practical. I study the strategies states use to project power and persuade audiences abroad, while also paying attention to domestic narratives that shape foreign policy choices. To explore how cultural diplomacy through art, education, media, and people-to-people ties can complement hard security concerns and economic statecraft. This triad of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and culture allows me to connect traditional strategic questions with contemporary challenges like supply-chain security, technology competition, and identity politics. Therefore, my research quest is to understand how states navigate an era of strategic competition without losing sight of cooperation. I aim to produce work that is theoretically grounded yet policy-relevant, offering insights for scholars and practitioners alike. By bridging public diplomacy with strategic studies, I hope to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how power is exercised, contested, and legitimized in today’s multipolar world.
Bhushan Ravindra Thakare is a dedicated academic and research scholar specializing in International Relations and Foreign Policy. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chanakya University. He previously held teaching and coordinating roles within the university’s Department of Civics and Politics, School of International Relations and Strategic Studies (SIRSS) and the Institute of Distance and Open Learning of University of Mumbai. Mr. Thakare has also served as a Member of the Regional Advisory Committee for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. analysing India’s soft power and role of State agencies, Mr. Thakare has contributed significantly to academic literature. His notable publications include a Scopus-indexed article in Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik regarding women’s empowerment in Indonesia, as well as chapters on India-U.S. defence ties and the Quad. A twice-qualified UGC NET scholar, Thakare’s recent international honours and engagements include participating as an academic delegate at the International Youth Forum 2026 in Russia, Participated in Raisina Dialogue 2025, attended the Global Soft Power Summit 2025 in London, and participating in the delegation to World Youth Festival 2024 in Sochi, Russia.
Research Scholar Ph.D. International Relations, University of Mumbai.
M.A. (Hons) Politics, Department of Civics and Politics, University of Mumbai, UGC NET.
B.Sc. (Hons) Physics, Elphinstone College, Mumbai.
- Cracking the Glass Ceiling: The Case of Women’s Empowerment in Promoting Village Tourism Development in Malang, Indonesia, Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Volume 27, Issue 3, March 2024 (330-344), ISSN 1410-4946 (Print), 2502-7883 (Online), https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.85545 (Scopus Index Q3)
- Thakare, B. R. (2026). India U.S. Defense ties under Trump’s New Administration. Emerging World Order: INDIA and USA (pp. 33-41). Mumbai: Himalaya Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
- Thakare, B & Marathe Jui. (2024). Relevance of Military and Administrative Policies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Modern Era. A Peer Reviewed National Multidisciplinary Journal, Atharva Publication. (pg101-106) April 2024.Vol 15. No. 6. ISSN: 2231-0096
- Thakare, B. (2021). India’s Neighbourhood First Policy in the shadow of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities, 126. Vol2 Issue 1 ISSN: 2348-9359
- Thakare, B & Kohei. (2023) Sustainability of life: Cultural values in India and Japan. Solidarity for Sustainability, 191-206, ISBN: 978-93-90981-85-4
- Contributed Chapters and Edited more than 12 Textbooks for Institute of distance and open learning, University of Mumbai
- Member of Regional Advisory Committee for Western Zone for Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, govt. Of India.
- Short Term Course on Indian Knowledge System organised by UGC HRDC, 2023
- Completed workshop on MOOC learning and course development, certified by IQAC, University of Mumbai. August-2020
- Short Term Course on Design and Development of Online Courses by UGC HRDC, 2022