Determination can do wonders, and more so when it emerges from failures. And that will to achieve success has pushed him into a different league. From a small town that hardly provided a State view he has now gained expertise in counter-terrorism policies.
Ramesh Babu Kanneganti, an Assistant Professor at the Advanced Centre for American Studies, Osmania University and involved in developing American Studies curriculum in India is a fine example of success achieved by a small town boy, against odds. He failed in Intermediate once but went on to do his Post-Doctoral at Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel on the topic “The US Factor in Indo-Israel Defence Relations.”
“Defence and counter-terrorism have always interested me. The prevailing conditions also provided me the right opportunity to study and evolve internal security strategies,” says Ramesh, who did his Ph.D in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi on “US-Israel Strategic Relations in the Post-Cold War Era”. His M.Phil from JNU was related to “US-Australia Security Ties in the Post-Cold War Era.” He has a Masters in Political Science from University of Hyderabad.
Ramesh's keen interest also got him the prestigious U.S. State Department Fellowship to develop American Studies Curricula in India.
He visited several American universities under International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and that enriched him tremendously. “The visit gave me an opportunity to understand the US from close quarters and my visits to 10 universities and other top institutions enriched me tremendously,” he says.
Ramesh has published a book on “Israel in US Strategy Asset or Liability” while another book on Counter-Terrorism has been accepted for publication by Edwin Mellen Publishers, New York. Apart from publishing several papers on defence relations and counter-terrorism strategies, he also received scholarships from the Israeli foreign ministry and University of Vienna, Austria. He has also addressed the trainee DSPs at the AP Police Academy on national security issues.
He has several other facets to his personality. Apart from representing Guntur district at State-level cricket, he also bagged the “Mr. JNU” award, the first by a South Indian student.
