Speaker details

Biography

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar, is the Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in India. He was appointed as the VC at the age of 34 in 2009 when the university was established.Professor Kumar conceived the idea of establishing India's first 'Global University' and with the visionary leadership and philanthropic support of Mr. Naveen Jindal, established JGU in Sonipat, Haryana in 2009. JGU is one of only 20 universities in India and the only non-STEM university, which has been declared as an “Institution of Eminence” by the Government of India. Professor Kumar is an accomplished legal scholar and works in the fields of human rights and development, comparative constitutional law, terrorism and national security, corruption and governance, law and disaster management, legal education and higher education. He has nine books and over two hundred publications to his credit and has published widely in peer reviewed journals, law reviews and other internationally reputed publishing houses based in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, UK and the USA. Professor Kumar has academic qualifications from the University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Hong Kong, University of Delhi and Loyola College. He served as a faculty member at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong, where he taught for many years. Professor Kumar was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford, UK, where he obtained his Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) degree; a Landon Gammon Fellowship at the Harvard Law School, USA, where he obtained his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree and a James Souverine Gallo Memorial Scholarship at Harvard University. He received the Doctor of Legal Science (S.J.D.) from the University of Hong Kong. He also obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Delhi, India; and a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree from the Loyola College, University of Madras, India. He is an Attorney at Law and is admitted to the Bar Council of Delhi, India and the Bar of the State of New York, USA. His areas of specialisation include, human rights and development, terrorism and national security, corruption and governance, law and disaster management, comparative constitutional law and higher education. He has over two hundred publications to his credit including nine books and has published widely in journals and law reviews in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and USA. Professor Kumar has held consultancy assignments in the field of human rights and governance. He has been a Consultant to the United Nations University (UNU), Tokyo; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Geneva; and the International Council for Human Rights Policy (ICHRP), Geneva. Professor Kumar is an Attorney at Law and is admitted to the Bar Council of Delhi, India and the Bar of the State of New York, USA.