Helena Varkkey

Dr Helena Varkkey is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of International and Strategic Studies, University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She completed her Doctorate at the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney, Australia. She carries out research on transboundary pollution in Southeast Asia, particularly pertaining to the role of patronage in agribusiness, especially the oil palm industry, and its link to forest fires and haze in the region. Her findings have been published as a book in 2016 as part of the Routledge Malaysian Studies Series. Her writings have also appeared in many international academic journals, including International Environmental Agreements, Environmental Hazards, Asia Pacific Business Review, Wetlands, and Asia Pacific Viewpoint. Dr Helena has been interviewed by various media for her views on haze, agribusiness and ASEAN, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, Channel News Asia, The Straits Times Singapore, and The Star Malaysia. Her commentaries on sustainable development and haze issues have also been published in outlets like The Straits Times Singapore, CNN and Inside Indonesia. She continues to undertake research in this field.