# Anjhula Mya Bais

Anjhula Bais (Hindi: अंजुला बैस,) is an Indian-American international psychologist, trauma specialist, human rights activist and an international model . She was the youngest chair of Amnesty International Malaysia, then became elected as director for Amnesty International at their global assembly in 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the first for Malaysia. She is now the Chair of the International Board of Amnesty International worldwide, the first psychologist, the first Indian and first person from Malaysia to do so.
In 2019, Bais was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. In 2020, she was the recipient of the American Psychological Association Citizen Psychologist Citation. She lives in Kuala Lumpur and is married to Satish Selvanathan, a philanthropist and great-great-grandson of Ponnambalam Arunachalam.

## Early life and education
### Early life

Bais was born in the US and spent her early childhood in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. While she was still a young girl, her family moved to the US and they lived in both Chicago, Illinois and Lincoln, Nebraska. Bais is the daughter of Thakur Dr. Birendra Bikram Singh Bais, an agriculture scientist, and Thakurani Asha Singh Bais Kumari. She has two older siblings, her sister Rina and her brother Harish Paul
She stated, “I was unafraid of people, and that’s a requisite of being a psychologist” and “People came naturally to me. My friends would talk to me about their relationships and their parents."

### Education

Bais studied psychology and philosophy at Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi, India. She completed her master's degree in Psychoanalysis from the University College London. She got admitted for a graduate degree in psychology in Columbia University in New York but later left it and obtained her Doctorate in International Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She obtained her PhD with distinction, focused in International Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology . Bais practices Nichiren Buddhism since 2005. She was a Fellow of the Apolitical Academy, London and the Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government from 2019 to 2021. Bais was recognized in 2020 as an alumna of University College London, for their professional development programme, UCL Connect.

## Career

Bais served as the Chair of Amnesty Malaysia from 2017 to 2019 where she helped strategize on regional human rights issues such as ICERD and the curbing of freedom of expression. Bais is the youngest chair in the history of Amnesty International Malaysia. Bais also serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Semitic Studies.

### Psychologist

Bais started her career as a refugee psychotherapist while studying for masters at University College London and was acclaimed by University College London as an alumna who “gives back to UCL."
In 2015, Bais went to Mumbai and spent four days with the Dalai Lama discussing the intersection of religion and psychology.

## Media and entertainment
### Filmography

She is the Executive Producer of Hindi Short Film - Katputliwala (The Puppet master) | Father and Son Relationship by filmmaker Mitakshara Kumar of Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat fame.

### Modeling

Bais started her career as a model at the age of 18 at a campaign of Banana Republic in New York. She was awarded the “Miss Teen India” while studying at college. She was one of the top 20 finalists in Miss India. She walked the ramp at the London Fashion Week while studying at University College London.