KUCHING, April 17 -- Dr Vilashini Somiah, a Sabah-born senior lecturer at the Gender Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya (UM), has made history by becoming the first Southeast Asian-based scholar to be elected Chair of the Southeast Asia Council (SEAC) under the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).

Vilashini, who is already serving on SEAC this year, has been appointed chair of the council for the term March 2026 to March 2028.

In this leadership role, she will also sit on the board of directors of the AAS, the world's largest academic organisation dedicated to the study of Asia.

This landmark achievement not only marks a significant milestone for Universiti Malaya but also for Malaysia as a whole,...