Aira Azhari is the Chief Executive Officer of IDEAS. As CEO, she ensures the organisation’s strategy, vision, mission and purpose are met, leads all fundraising efforts, and represents IDEAS in all external engagements.

She has been interviewed by the BBC (World News and Radio), The New York Times, Al Jazeera, Astro Awani, Bernama, Channel News Asia, Radio Televisyen Malaysia, Lite FM and BFM on matters relating to Malaysian politics, international relations, economics and governance. Her op-eds have appeared in The Malaysian Insight, Malay Mail Online, Malaysiakini, The Edge, Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and Sinar Harian. 

She is an alumna of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s International Academy for Leadership in Gummersbach, Germany, the Global Institute for Tomorrow’s Malaysian Young Leaders Programme, the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Programme (Transparency and Accountability in Government), and the Fulbright Professional Exchange Program in New York and Washington DC. Most recently, Aira was selected to be part of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Young Leaders Program inaugural cohort and the Japan Foundation’s South East Asia Partnership Program on Economic Security.

She graduated with a Master of Laws in Public International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science in December 2015.

Her interests include politics, history, and democratic development in Malaysia and globally.