Dr. M. J. Vinod is a Professor in the Department of International Studies, Political Science, and History at Christ University, Bangalore. He is a retired Professor of Political Science and former Dean at Bangalore University. He holds an MA, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Bangalore University. His recent books include "Cooperative Federalism in South Asia and Europe" (2024) and "Empowering Marginalised Communities in India" (2022). Dr. Vinod was awarded the Senior Fulbright Fellowship and taught at Morgan State University, Baltimore, from 2015 to 2016. Other fellowships he received include the Salzburg Fellowship, Ford Foundation Fellowship, and Swiss Foreign Ministry Fellowship. He has been a Visiting Fellow at several prestigious institutions, including the Henry L. Stimson Center and the University of Maryland. His areas of research include India-U.S. relations, Indo-Pacific security, South Asian security, and Indian and U.S. foreign policy. Dr. Vinod has published extensively in national and international journals. He also writes a monthly column for Deccan Herald.