‘China and the Strait of Hormuz and Emerging Power Politics in the Indian Ocean Region’: Jagannath Panda spoke at the BSIF 2026

March 31, 2026: Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, spoke at the Belgrade Security and Intelligence Forum II (BSIF 2026), which was held on 27–28 March 2026 in Belgrade, organized by the Institute for National and International Security (INIS), Serbia. He spoke on ‘China and the Strait of Hormuz and Emerging Power Politics in the Indian Ocean Region’. Participation in the Forum included senior academics, military and defense attachés, intelligence and law enforcement professionals, and advanced students of Security Science. The Forum is conceptually grounded in Security Science as an integrative and foundational discipline.

The BSIF II program covered a wide range of critical topics reflecting the evolving global security environment. Discussions addressed hybrid threats, information and cognitive warfare, the role of emerging and disruptive technologies in shaping future battlefields, terrorism in the digital domain, migration-related security risks, and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in security institutions. The forum also discussed strategic developments in regions such as the South-East Mediterranean, the Indo-Pacific, and Eastern Europe. A dedicated session focused on the current situation in Iran and its broader regional and global security implications, highlighting the Forum’s capacity to address timely and sensitive geopolitical issues.