Prof. V. Suryanarayan is one of India’s leading specialists in South and Southeast Asian Studies. For more than two decades he was associated with the Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras, first as the founding Director and later as Senior Professor. He was Visiting Professor in several Universities in India, United States and Sri Lanka. He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board of the Government of India for one term. He is a member of the distinguished faculty of the Symbiosis University, Pune. The Kalinga International Foundation awarded him the Kalinga Saraswathi Sammam in recognition of pioneering work in promoting India-Indonesia relations. He has written extensively on contemporary South and Southeast Asia.