LIGHTS convenes dialogue at the science–policy–society interface, creating sustained platforms where scientific knowledge, geopolitics, and public policy intersect. Through conferences, roundtables, and lecture series, LIGHTS enables informed debate, evidence-based recommendations, and long-term thinking on climate change, the polar regions, the oceans, and the global commons.
The SaGAA (Science and Geopolitics of the Arctic and Antarctic) conference series is LIGHTS’ department and among India’s longest-running platforms on polar science and geopolitics. Held in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2025, the series has brought together 2,000+ national and international participants across editions, with per-edition participation ranging from 60 to over 200 delegates. Core themes include polar science, climate change, geopolitics, biodiversity, science diplomacy, and governance of global commons. Institutional support has included the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), NCPOR, CSIR, DST, the Embassies of Norway and Iceland, and 50+ academic, diplomatic, and research institutions.
LIGHTS has also organised and curated focused national dialogues, including the Delhi Round Table Conclave on Oceans and Seas around India (2010), which brought together invited experts to deliberate on climate change, ocean–atmosphere interactions, marine resources, coastal infrastructure, disaster forecasting, and ocean governance. The Delhi Round Table Conclave (2013), themed “Vulnerable India: Ocean Acidification, Sea Level Rise and Extreme Events”, convened scientists, policymakers, parliamentarians, academics, and researchers to address emerging ocean and climate risks. A seminar on Integrating Geospatial Technologies in Higher Education Curriculum (2016) brought together policymakers, academics, and industry experts to promote multidisciplinary integration of GIS in higher education curricula and skill development.
LIGHTS has regularly hosted lecture series and expert talks as part of its knowledge dissemination and has held lectures at JNU and other prestigious institutions across Delhi.
