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 Ponnambalam Arunachalam ( ta, பொன்னம்பலம் அருணாசலம், translit=Poṉṉampalam Aruṇācalam; 14 September 1853 – 9 January 1924) was a Ceylonese civil servant and a member of the Executive Council of Ceyl ...

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

Education

Bais studied psychology and philosophy at

Lady Shri Ram College Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) is a constituent women's college, affiliated with the University of Delhi, and has a legacy in women's education. History Established in 1956 in New Delhi by the late Lala Shri Ram in memory of his wife ...

New Delhi, India New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. She completed her master's degree in

Psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

from the

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

. She got admitted for a graduate degree in psychology in

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in New York but later left it and obtained her Doctorate in

International Psychology International or global psychology is an emerging branch of psychology that focuses on the worldwide enterprise of psychology in terms of communication and networking, cross-cultural comparison, scholarship, practice, and pedagogy (Stevens & Gielen, ...

from

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (The Chicago School) is a private university with its main campus in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology was primarily focused on the professional app ...

. Bais practices

Nichiren Buddhism Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of ...

since 2005.

Career

Modeling

Bais started her career as a model at the age of 18 at a campaign of

Banana Republic In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resources. In 1904, the American author O. Henry coined the term to describe Honduras and neighboring ...

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.

Psychologist

Bais started her career as a refugee psychotherapist while studying for masters at University College London. In 2015, Bais went to Mumbai and spent four days with the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

discussing the intersection of religion and psychology.

Human rights activism

Bais is the youngest chair in the history of

Amnesty International Malaysia Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...

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 ''Bajirao Mastani'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who co-produced it with Eros International and composed its soundtrack. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priy ...

and Padmaavat fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bais, Anjhula Mya Living people American female models Indian female models American women psychologists 21st-century American psychologists Indian psychologists Indian women psychologists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women