Balqis Athirah is an Analyst at Vriens & Partners’ Kuala Lumpur office. Her work covers technology, digital content, e-commerce, tourism, and healthcare, supporting client engagements through policy and regulatory research, monitoring, stakeholder mapping, and government affairs.
Prior to joining Vriens & Partners, Balqis worked at Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), first with its Digital Policy Team and later as a Contract Research Associate. She researched Malaysia’s aquaculture industry and food security, covering policy and regulation, value chains, sustainability, and competitiveness. Her work combined research with government and industry engagement, and she led the policy analysis for a forthcoming KRI Discussion Paper.
With KRI’s Digital Policy Team, Balqis researched artificial intelligence, AI governance, technology policy, and the digital challenges facing Malaysian MSMEs.
Balqis holds a Bachelor of Arts in International and Strategic Studies from Universiti Malaya, where her studies focused on East Asian international relations. Her academic interests include foreign policy, political economy, great-power competition, and Southeast Asia’s regional positioning. Outside work, Balqis enjoys gaming, baking, and travelling.
