Vikas Swarup was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 9:00 a.m. ceremony on Friday, June 16, “in recognition of a distinguished career as
both a high-ranking diplomat and award-winning author of fiction.”
Swarup is a novelist and former diplomat. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986 and served in diplomatic assignments in Ankara, Washington, Addis Ababa, London and Pretoria. Most recently, he was Consul General in Osaka-Kobe (2009-2013), India’s foreign office spokesperson (2015-2017), High Commissioner to Canada (2017-2019) and Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (2019-2021).
Swarup is also the author of three bestselling novels, Q&A (adapted as the multiple Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire), Six Suspects (adapted as The Great Indian Murder on Disney/Hulu) and The Accidental Apprentice. His books have been translated into 47 international languages.
Swarup has been a jury member for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize and the 33rd Cairo International Film Festival.
He has written for numerous prestigious international publications such as TIME, Newsweek, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, DNA, Outlook and Liberation. He has also hosted Diplomatic Dispatch, a popular weekly program on foreign affairs for India’s parliamentary channel.
Swarup is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of South Africa in Pretoria, Concordia University in Montreal and the University of Guelph.