Page 15 - SAU Connect December 2019

The Quarterly Newsletter of South Asian University | Volume 4 Issue 2 December 2019

Passing the Baton

Dr. AVS Ramesh Chandra has taken over charge as the Acting President of the South Asian University after
Dr. Kavita Sharma completed her term. Dr. AVS Ramesh Chandra joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1989.
After having served in the former Soviet Union / Russian Federation in his early years of service, Dr.
Chandra was assigned to New York (Permanent Mission of India to the UN) as India's Fifth (Finance)
Committee Delegate (1999-2002). He subsequently served in the Indian Missions in Afghanistan &
Pakistan (2003 - 06) and thereafter headed the political wings of Indian Embassies in Moscow and Turkey
(where he was also Charge d' Affaires). He has served as India's High Commissioner/ Ambassador in
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Romania, Moldova and Albania. Dr. Chandra is on deputation from the
Ministry of External Affairs where he is an Additional Secretary. While at Headquarters in New Delhi, Dr.
Chandra served at the International Cooperation desk in the Ministry of Defence, was incharge of Foreign
Service Personnel & Cadre in the Administration Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, and served as
the Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). Dr. Chandra is a double gold
medallist from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University (APAU), and specialised in Dairy
Technology before joining the IFS.

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