Hari Vasudevan

Hari Shankar Vasudevan (15 February 1952 10 May 2020) was an Indian historian, writer and emeritus professor. His work was primarily focused on history of Europe and India–Russia relations besides his contribution to the history of Russian and Central Asia. He served as the president of the Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata from July 2018 until he died in May 2020. His last publication was India and the October Revolution: Nationalist Revolutionaries, Bolshevik Power and Lord Curzon’s Nightmare, later published in multiple parts and volumes in the book titled The Global Impact of Russia’s Great War and Revolution (RGWR), and in its second book The Wider Arc of Revolution. It is also published in RGWR's second part titled Bloomington, Indiana: Slavica Publishers, 2019.

He was born around 1952 in Kolkata, India He did B.A. (Hons.) from Christ's College, Cambridge and then obtained his M.A. from University of Cambridge. He was married to an Indian historian, Tapati Guha-Thakurta, with whom he had a daughter, Mrinalini.

Life Hari Vasudevan's parents were Methil Vasudevan and Sreekumari Menon. His father Methil Vasudevan was a mechanical and aeronautical engineer. Hari Vasudevan grew up in India, Europe and Africa. After completing his PhD studies from University of Cambridge in 1978, he became a Reader in European History at University of Calcutta in 1978, later going on to become an emeritus professor at the University.

At Jamia Millia Islamia he set up the 'Central Asia' programme. He was part of numerous government committees, including the chairperson of the 'Textbook Development Committee for the Social Sciences' at the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

He authored 'Footsteps of Afanasii Nikitin: Travels through Eurasia and India in the early 21st century''' in 2015 and 'Shadows of Substance: Indo-Russian Trade and Military Technical Cooperation' in 2010.'' He edited and co-authored numerous books.

From 2005 to 2015, he served as a chairperson of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) at Syllabus Committees and Textbook Development Committees for Social Sciences. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as a consultant for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry where his work was focused on India-Russian Trade.