CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Singh, Kshitij |
|---|---|
| Title | Strategic Benevolence: India's Healthcare Diplomacy and Cross-Border Health Systems with Bangladesh |
| Summary | This thesis attempts to answer the research question: In what ways has India employed healthcare diplomacy with Bangladesh to advance its economic and strategic standing, and how does the July Revolution reshape the trajectory of these efforts? The research explores the instruments of India’s healthcare diplomacy– namely Medical Value Tourism (MVT), vaccine diplomacy, and traditional medicine frameworks– and their role in building cross-border solidarity. Combining descriptive qualitative and quantitative evidence grounded in neoliberal institutionalism and constructivism, the study identifies the projection of healthcare norms and institutional linkages as key to India’s soft power strategy in South Asia. Ultimately, the analysis demonstrates that India’s healthcare diplomacy has fostered cross-border solidarity whilst simultaneously providing economic and strategic benefits to India. However, with the July Revolution in Bangladesh, diplomatic channels with India have been disrupted, paving the way for China’s expanding healthcare footprint. As such, the study exemplifies the impact of political and cultural dynamics in shaping health outcomes as well as geopolitical competition. In light of this, the thesis concludes with policy recommendations to develop regional infrastructure and ease visa restrictions, diversify healthcare centers, and institutionalize cross-border health flows to revive India’s image as a benevolent partner. |
| Supervisor | Sandor, Judit |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/singh_kshitij.pdf |
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