Vishakha Desai

Vishakha Desai has been at Columbia University for more than a decade, initially as senior advisor for global affairs to president Bollinger, a senior research scholar in global studies at its School of International and Public Affairs, and chair of Columbia's Committee on Global Thought. From 1990 to 2012, Vishakha held a variety of positions at the Asia Society, initially as the director of the Asia Society Museum and for the last eight years as president and CEO, a first woman, and a first person of Asian origin to do so. A well-known scholar, educator, and an institutional leader, she was responsible for developing ground breaking exhibitions of contemporary Asian and Asian American arts that changed the perception of Asian arts in the west. A frequent contributor to newspapers and magazines in both the US and Asia, she has published and lectured extensively on the intersection of arts, culture, and politics. Among her several publications include an award-winning memoir, 'World as Family: A Journey of Multi-Rooted Belongings' (Columbia University Press, 2021), and an edited anthology, 'Politics of Visual Arts in a Changing World, 2014-2024' (CUP, May, 2026). Vishakha is the recipient of five honorary degrees and holds a B.A. in political science from Bombay University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Asian art history from the University of Michigan. She serves on several international Boards and advisory Committees, including Doris Duke Foundation, the Tallberg Foundation, Krea University (India), SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the Arts and Culture Committee of Salzburg Global.