Speakers - World Parliament - 2023

DAY 1 - 9TH FEB 2023

Mr. Hiroo Saionji / Masami Saionji

FounderPresident, GOI Peace Foundation, Japan

Hiroo Saionji is the president of the Goi Peace Foundation and the World Peace Prayer Society. Together with his wife, Masami Saionji, he travels around the world promoting dialogues on peace and leading World Peace Prayer Ceremonies at the United Nations and at other international organizations. Hiroo Saionji is an Ambassador to the World Wisdom Council and active in its activities. He was a principal founder of The New Civilization initiative with thirteen partner organizations, including Kosmos Journal.

Dr. Sunil Rai

VC, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

Vice Chancellor at University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun
Dr. Sunil Rai is the Vice Chancellor at University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun and was former VC at MIT ADT University, Pune and Assam Kaziranga University Jorhat and Director of Maharashtra IT Corporation, Got of Maharashtra, Mumbai. He is the co-founder of Cambridge Global Partners, Edinburgh UK, which provides strategic consulting to several industrial and academic organizations.

In a diverse and rich career spanning 40+ yrs collectively across Indian Navy, Prominent Academic Institutions and IT Industry, he is a popular and prolific speaker at various Management Seminars and Conferences, having addressed various national and international conferences, earning him accolades for his oratory skills.

He has served as commissioned officer in the Indian Navy and on ships INS Vikrant, Nilgiri, Himgiri and Oil tanker Shakti. He had served DGM (MIS) of Goa Shipyard Ltd Vasco, Goa.

In his career in academics he has held leadership positions as Jt. Director at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Dean MPSTME at NMIMS University, Mumbai Pro-Vice Chancellor at NIIT university, Neemrana, Rajasthan, Director Goa Institute Management, Sanquelim Goa and Director Regenesys Business School South Africa, Mumbai division. In the IT Industry domain he specialised in Design and Development of Integrated Enterprise Solutions for Corporate Organizations, Infrastructure Management and Execution of Information Security and Networking projects.

He has instituted Professional Program in Management in collaboration with some of the leading companies in India and is a member or alumni of a number of associations such as- IIT Mumbai, ASCI Hyderabad, Associate Member IE (India), CSI Mumbai chapter and IBA Mumbai Chapter.

His academic credentials include Ph.D. in Business Continuity Management (BITS Pilani), Masters in Business Administration with HR Specialization (IGNOU), M. Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering (IIT, Mumbai), Masters in Marine Engineering from Naval College of Engineering (NCE), INS Shivaji – Lonavla and BSC Honours from JNU New Delhi. His research interests include Technology enabled-People driven Change Management and Organizational Development. He has published several papers on Business Continuity and Higher Education in various journals and published articles in management magazines and Business, Education columns in Newspapers. He has crafted the pioneering relationship with renowned internal institutions including Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA; Ulster University in Northern Ireland, ITIN France and Kennesaw State University, Atlanta USA for offering joint programs in India and conducting research and continues to serve on several governing boards as Director.

Dr. B. R. Sharma

Chancellor, Sri Sri Uni.

Vice Chancellor, Sri Sri University & Dean, Faculty of Health and Wellness
Prof. Sharma is an Academician having more than 38 years of experience in the field of Yoga Education and Research.
● Life Time achievement Award in the National Seminar on History in Puranas inaugurated by the Governor of Odisha, sponsored by ICHR, New Delhi (Feb 01, 2020).
● Life Time Achievement Award by the President of Indian Association of Yoga, New Delhi for his contribution to the field of Yoga (Feb 22, 2020)
● Prof. Sharma was honored/awarded by various National and International Institutions/Yoga Associations for his huge contribution to the field of Yoga Research and Education.
● He was Felicitated by the Director of WHO during the WHO Working Group Meeting held at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi: 26-28 February 2019, for his Zero draft on ‘Benchmarks for Training in Yoga’. He was assigned this job on the recommendations of AYUSH Ministry, Govt. of India.
● He is still rendering his services as Peer Reviewer Yoga Expert for “mYoga applications” development as a part of the global ‘Be Healthy’, ‘be Mobile’ (BHBM) initiatives of WHO.
● He was a part of Govt. of India’s Delegation as a Yoga Expert to participate in 11th Intergovernmental UNESCO meet (November 28-02 December, 2016) at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia wherein Yoga was accepted as Intangible Cultural Heritage of India.

Dr. H. R. Nagendra

Vice Chancellor-VYASA Yoga University, President, VYASA, International, Bangalore

Guruji Dr. H. R. Nagendra is the Vice Chancellor of VYASA Yoga University. He has been the guiding force behind the VYASA movement. After receiving his doctorate in 1968, he served as faculty of IISc in Department of Mechanical Engineering.
He then went to Canada as Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the University of British Columbia, Canada in 1970. From there, he moved to NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre, USA as Post-Doctoral Research Associate in 1971 and moved to Engineering Science Laboratory, Harvard University, USA as a Consultant in 1972. He served as Visiting Staff at Imperial College of Science and Technology, London later. In 1975, he joined Vivekananda Kendra, a service mission, as a whole-time worker.
From 1986 to the present, he is the Secretary of Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore and the Director of Indian Yoga Institute, Prashanti Kutiram.
From 2000 to the present, he has been serving as President, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore and from 2002 to present, he serves as the Vice Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, the Yoga University in Bangalore. He has published 30 Research Papers in Engineering and more than 60 papers on Yoga. He has authored and co-authored 35 books on Yoga.

Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi

Vice-Chancellor, Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University Nagpur

Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi is currently working as Professor and Dean of Shastra Faculty in Karnataka Samskrita University, Bangalore, and Karnataka. He also holds the additional charge of the Director of Melkote Sanskrit Academy. Formerly he was the Director of Sanskrit Academy a Research Institute funded by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Osmania University, and Hyderabad. He started his academic carrier as a lecturer in purnaprajna Vidyapeeth sanskrit college and later in 2000, he joined and served in Tirupati Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth a deemed university.

BK Mruthyunjaya

Executive Secretary, Brahma Kumaris, Mount Abu

His contact with the Brahma Kumaris at the young age of 19sterred the depths of his soul, giving him wonderful transcendental Experiences and tremendous super sensuous joy. Moreover, Godly
Knowledge appealed to him so much that he considered rare Fortune to dedicate himself to the service of the Supreme. The very first fruit of his youthful Efforts was the establishment of as many as 25 Brahma Kumaris Centres in Southern States of India by the time himself was 30 years of age.
Besides his practice of Rajyoga for the elevation of his soul and communion with God,
B.K.Mruthyunjaya possessed so much energy, initiative, zeal and enthusiasm for Godly service
that he was soon called to Mount Abu, the International Headquarters of the Institution, to take
up significant assignments.Here is a graphic account of some of his outstanding activities .

Dr. Yogendra Mishra

Literary and member, Hindi Salahkar Samiti

EDUCATION
PhD
2002 - S.S. University, Varanasi(Guide- Param Pujya Dr.Vidhya Nivas Mishra Ji ( Varanasi)u.p.
Post-Graduate Degree/Dip.( Translation)
1997 - K.M.I. Agra University,u.p.
Post- Graduate Degree/Dip.( Linguistic)
1993 - S.S.University, Varanasi,u.p.
Master’s Degree(Hindi)
1989 - Agra University,u.p.
Master’s Degree(Sanskrit)
2005 - Dr. B.R.A Agra University,u.p.
Master’s Degree Aacharya(Sahitya)
2006 - S.S.University ,Varanasi,u.p.
M.Phil.( Linguistic)
1994 - Lucknow University,u.p.
Bachelor’s Degree(Hindi/Sanskrit)
1987 - Agra University,u.p.
EXPERIENCE
Dept. of Sanskrit, Himachal Pradesh University , Regional Centre, Dharmshala, H.P
As Guest Faculty
Dept. of Hindi ,G.G. central University , Bilaspur ,(C.G.)
Assit. Professor
Dept. of Hindi ,University of Pune , Pune (MH.)
Lecturer
Dept. of Linguistics ,Central Hindi Institute , Agra (U.P.)
Lecturer
D.V.( P.G.) College, Orai ( U.P.) (Bundelkhand University)
Sanskrit Instructor
Dept. of Hindi , B.L.R.D. college ,Biswan ,( Sitapur ) (U.P.) (Bundelkhand University)
Lecturer
Shree Bhagirathi School ,Soron ,(Etah) (U.P.)
Assist Teacher
Janta Sc. Sec. School ,Bhanupura ,(Etah ) (U.P.)
Assist Teacher
RESEARCH WORK
• Four Dissertations, Menu-Script Editing (Sanskrit and Hindi), Thesis, Monograms.
• Research Project University of Pune (BCUD). Sanskriti ke sanrakshak “ Goswami Tulsi Das ”.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS &
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
• Worked in convener PH.D Admission committee
• Time-Table
• National Seminar convener.
• Paper setter Nagpur University and Pune University.
• Journal Editor.
• M.Phil Teaching.( YCMO University Maharashtra).
• Convener of Hindi study tour (2005) Agra, Mathura, Vrundawan,Shukar Kshetra Soron.

Dr. Lari Azad

President, All India Poetess Conference, NewDelhi

Lari Azad (born 12 March 1959) is an Indian historian of medieval India. He is well known for his contribution to
medieval Indian history and historiography. He has authored a number of books, including Religion and Politics in India during the Seventeenth Century. Mohammad Akram Lari, (popularly known as Lari Azad), born in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India, is among the best-known authors and poets in Hindi literature. He is also the founder of All India Poetess
Conference. He wrote under the pen name "Lari Azad". [21] His style is considered easy to understand, but has also been compared with high quality Hindi literature. Besides writing, he earns his living by teaching History in the historic NREC PG College, Khurja. He attained a unique position as a writer who wrote with equal facility in both Hindi and Urdu.

Dr. Pranav Pandya

Head, World Gayatri Pariwar& Chancellor, DevSanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar

Dr. Pranav Pandya is renounced world over as a pioneer of scientific spirituality. As the Head of the Organization, he disseminated the message of Indian culture, in its true spirit, across the globe and established branches of Gayatri Pariwar in over 80 countries. Under his dynamic leadership the Dev Sanskriti University at Haridwar is establishing new milestones and reforming the face of modern education.Dr. Pandya laid the foundation of pioneering work in bringing science and spirituality together. Under his guidance path breaking research on Ayurveda , Psychology, Yagya pathy and therapeutic benefits of meditation, pranayam was carried out.

Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya

UNESCO Chair for Peace, Banaras Hindu University
Distinguished Professor, MIT World Peace University (Pune)
Global Fellow, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya has served Banaras Hindu University for over four decades in teaching and leadership positions. He currently holds the UNESCO Chair for Peace and serves on the UNESCO/ UniTwin Executive Committee. He has the prestigious Global Fellowship of Oslo's Peace Research Institute (PRIO). He is also on the Governing Board of
the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS), Institute of Asian Studies (MAKIAS) and Presidency University in Kolkata. In 2019, the Jawaharlal Nehru University designated him for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Peace and Disarmament. More recently, he has been honoured as the Distinguished Professor of Peace Studies at MIT World Peace University in Pune. Professor Upadhyaya has done post-doctoral studies at London University and holds a PhD and M. Phil. of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Recipient of many prestigious awards/fellowships, including the Guest Scholar Award of the Woodrow Wilson Centre of International Scholars, Wash DC, Faculty Research Award of the Canadian Government, Senior Fulbright Award and Australia-India Council Senior Fellowship and advanced international diploma from Uppsala University; Professor Upadhyaya has served as Visiting Professor at the UN University of Peace and US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Concordia University (Montreal). Invited by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Professor Upadhyaya delivered concluding roundtable remarks at UNGA HighLevel Forum on Culture of Peace on 13 September 2019.
Professor Upadhyaya has publications in journals and books from Oxford University Press, Manchester University Press, Cambridge University Press, Sage, Ashgate and Routledge. His volume on ‘Peace and Conflict: South Asian Experience’ (Cambridge: 2015) and ‘“Long Walk of Peace, towards a Culture of Prevention (UNESCO: 2018) have received international acclaim. His forthcoming volume “Interreligious Dialogue: Good Practices, Challenges and Future Directions” will
be published by UNESCO (Paris) in 2022.

Professor Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya

Distinguished Professor, MITWPU, Global Fellow, Peace Research Institute Oslo

Professor Anjoo Sharan Upadhyaya has served as the Senior Professor of Banaras Hindu University for over 46 years in such senior positions as the Professor and Head of Political Science and as the Dean of Social Sciences (1998-201). She had productive stints as the Director, Centre for Nepal Studies and Director, Centre for Integrated Rural Development and as an Adjunct Professor at the Malaviya Centre for Peace Research. Professor Upadhyaya did post-doctoral research at the London School of Economics and Political Science and subsequently worked as the Research Director at the UN University Institute of Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity in the UK. She worked internationally in the many prestigious institutions: Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Brown University; Scholar -in -Residence at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, Washington DC and Fulbright Professor at the Wellesley College in the USA. She also held Indian Council for Cultural Relations Chair at Tribhuvan
University and later at the Dublin University in 2017. Professor Upadhyaya has published on varied critical themes of political science and international relations in such leading press as Manchester University Press, Mc Millan, Cambridge University Press and Routledge. Currently she serves as the Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at MIT World PeaceUniversity, a seat of UNESCO Chair in Pune.