On June 25, 2022, the First International Seminar of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries was held with the theme: “The Role of MSMEs in Achieving SDGs in Developing Countries”. This seminar was organized by the Center for Industry, SME and Business Competition Studies (CISBUCs) Universitas Trisakti, Indonesia, in collaboration with Sri Venkateswara University’s School of Commerce & Management (India), Global College International (Nepal), and Global Economics Science (Singapore). This seminar was part of a book project on the same theme, published by Palgrave Macmillan at the end of 2022, with editors Prof. Himachalam Dasaraju and Prof. Tulus Tambunan.

Professor Dr. Susela Devi Suppiah has a career spanning over 40 years in the accounting and education sector with significant regional as well as global engagement in the ASEAN and Asia Pacific regions. She is currently Executive Director of Change Enablement Networks Solution Sdn. Bhd as well as Honorary Professor in UNISEL Malaysia. She served as Director of Sunway Centre for Environmental Social Governance, before her retirement from Sunway University in August 2024. She is Past President of the Malaysian Accounting Association (2020-2024). Her PhD research focused on the development of the Malaysian accountancy profession prior to and post-independence of Malaysia.

Based on the success of holding the first international seminar, and under the leadership of Professor Tulus TH Tambunan, a consortium called the Global Association for MSMEs and SDGs Research in Developing Countries was formed, from all chapter writers for this book project came from, as well as universities or research institutes in the world that pays special attention to the problems of MSMEs and SDGs in developing countries. Professor Tulus TH Tambunan, Universitas Trisakti, Indonesia, and Professor Himachalam Dasaraju, Sri Venkateswara University Tirupati, India are the association’s founder members.