Dr Vilashini Somiah who’s a feminist anthropologist and a senior lecturer at University Malaya has been appointed as the next chair of the Southeast Asia Council (SEAC) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS). 

This is important in and of itself but also specifically because she will be the first Southeast Asian-based scholar to lead the council since 1970 – that means she’s also the first Malaysian to lead the council, since then. 

In this episode, we speak to Dr Vilashini Somiah about her work, getting elected to chair the council, the challenges faced by marginalised communities in the region and so much more.

Image Credit: Shutterstock