LAKSHMY NAIDU is a Ph.D. candidate at the Research Centre for History, Politics, and International Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). She graduated with a masters degree in the field of international relations, majoring in East Asian Studies from UKM in 2017. She was awarded the Deans List for two semesters as a recognition for outstanding academic performance. Her areas of interest and expertise are in the fields of non-traditional security, foreign and defense policy, sustainable development studies and ASEAN. She is a senior officer in the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Service (PTD). Prior to post-graduate studies, she served at the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia where she taught topics on international relations and security for newly appointed PTD officers. Her working experience in various governmental agencies and extensive exposure in diverse fields are pivotal in her journey as a researcher.