Universiti Malaya proudly announces the appointment of Associate Professor Dr. Helena Binti Muhamad Varkkey, from the Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, as the Prince Claus Chair in Equity and Development at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Dr. Helena is the first Malaysian academic to be awarded this prestigious chair, marking a significant milestone for both the University and the nation’s higher education sector.
Effective 1 September 2025, Dr. Helena will formally assume the prestigious Chair for a two-year term until 1 September 2027, while continuing her academic and research responsibilities at Universiti Malaya.
The Prince Claus Chair recognises exceptionally promising academics from low and middle-income countries whose work contributes significantly to research and education in equity and international development.
Commenting on her appointment, Dr. Helena said, “I am especially honoured to join the distinguished group of researchers from the Global South who have held the Prince Claus Chair in Equity and Development.
“As a Southeast Asian researcher working on Southeast Asian problems, I am pleased to contribute to the Chair’s mission of developing and supporting knowledge from and for the Global South. This appointment provides an important opportunity to deepen conversations on environmental governance, equity, and sustainable development in our region and beyond”, she added.
As Prince Claus Chair, Dr. Helena will be focusing on her research on Transboundary Haze Governance in Southeast Asia, an issue that continues to have significant environmental, economic, and public health implications across the region.
She will also contribute to the Water, Securitisation Anxieties and Border Imaginaries (WASABI) project, an international research initiative that examines the lived experiences and perceptions of communities navigating securitised water borders in Sri Lanka, Central America, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Southern Caucasus, and the Sulu Sea in the Philippines.
Reflecting on the importance of her research, Dr. Helena said, “The haze is not a natural disaster. It is a failure of governance and diplomacy, and it is also a deeply human story. Through this appointment, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of how environmental challenges intersect with questions of development, security, and equity across borders.”
Dr. Helena Varkkey is an Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at Universiti Malaya and an internationally recognised scholar in environmental governance, with particular expertise in transboundary haze governance and global palm oil politics in Southeast Asia.
Her landmark monograph, The Haze Problem in Southeast Asia: Palm Oil and Politics (Routledge, 2016), remains a key reference in the field, while her 2021 essay collection, The Forests for the Palms, further explores the politics of haze and environmental issues in the region.
With nearly two decades of experience in qualitative research, Dr. Helena has conducted extensive fieldwork and stakeholder engagement across Southeast Asia, working closely with government agencies, industry players, civil society organisations, and regional institutions.
Her research has fostered extensive networks across ASEAN and contributed to policy-relevant publications and initiatives addressing pressing environmental challenges.
Beyond academia, Dr. Helena has edited and produced reports for leading organisations such as the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, UNICEF, and the ASEAN Secretariat.
This international appointment further underscores Universiti Malaya’s growing reputation as a leading research university and reflects the global impact of its scholars in addressing complex regional and international challenges.
Universiti Malaya congratulates Dr. Helena Varkkey on this significant achievement and looks forward to the contributions she will make through the Prince Claus Chair in advancing knowledge, policy, and practice in the fields of environmental governance, equity, and sustainable development.