Vishakha Desai is an Asia scholar with a focus on art, culture, policy, and women’s rights. Vishakha has served in various capacities at Columbia University, including as Senior Advisor for Global Affairs to the president, chair of CGT, and Senior Research Scholar at SIPA. From 2004 to 2012, she was the President and CEO of the Asia Society. She is actively involved in various organizations, serving as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for AFS Intercultural Programs, a Trustee of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and has served on the Board of Directors for Teach for All. She is also part of the governing council of KREA, a liberal arts university in India, and has served on the Corporate Board of Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India’s largest global corporations. Her extensive body of work includes publications, and her memoir, “World as Family: A Journey of Multi-rooted Belongings,” was published by Columbia University Press in 2021.
