From Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Minh City: IVU's Thao Le Builds Momentum for the International Vegetarian Conference 2026

A meeting with the Malaysian Vegetarian Society lays groundwork for the conference's second edition, set for November 5–6 at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities

KUALA LUMPUR — Few places show Asia's mix of cultures, faiths and cuisines as clearly as Kuala Lumpur. On the afternoon of September 19, the city hosted a meeting that points to what could become one of the region's major vegetarian events of the year.

Thao Le, the International Vegetarian Union's Asia Regional Representative, helped set up the meeting and took part in it. On one side of the table was a delegation of lecturers and graduate students from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City (USSH). The delegation was led by Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan and was in Malaysia from September 17 to 20 for an academic and cultural exchange programme. On the other side were two leading figures of the region's vegetarian movement. Dr. P. Vythilingam is a former president of the Malaysian Vegetarian Society (MVS) and still sits on its Executive Committee. Raj Kumar Seth is Executive Vice President of the Asian Pacific Vegetarian Union (APVU).

The group discussed far more than menus. According to the university's account, they talked about vegetarian food culture, lifestyle, the environment, sustainable development and community building. They treated plant-based eating as a subject linked to public health, culture and the future of the planet, not simply as a personal dietary choice. The most concrete item on the agenda was cooperation around the International Vegetarian Conference 2026, which USSH will host in Ho Chi Minh City on November 5 and 6. The discussion opened the door for Malaysian experts and organisations to join the programme.

A tradition in the making

The conference is only in its second year, but it already has a strong first edition behind it. In November 2025, IVU and its Vietnamese partners brought the International Vegetarian Conference to Vietnam for the first time. More than 200 scholars, diplomats, monks, entrepreneurs and activists from across Asia took part under the theme "Green Cuisine – People's Diplomacy – Sustainable Development." It was held alongside Ho Chi Minh City's first Vegetarian Food Festival, which drew nearly 120,000 visitors over five days and set a Vietnamese record with 200 vegetarian dishes made from lotus. Malaysia was already part of that story: the country's Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City described the 2025 gathering as an act of people's diplomacy. According to Thao Le, the conference is now planned as an annual event.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan, who co-led the 2025 edition, is again at the centre of the partnership. That continuity helps explain how quickly a field trip to Kuala Lumpur turned into early groundwork for this year's programme.

IVU's contribution

IVU is taking part through its regional representative, Thao Le, and by sending internationally recognised speakers. Dr. Eric Slywitch, Head of IVU's Department of Medicine and Nutrition, and Marly Winckler, IVU's Honorary President, are expected to attend. Both were among the most prominent international voices at the 2025 edition. Further details about the programme, speakers and participation will be published on ivu.org as soon as they are available.

The connector

For those who follow Thao Le's work, his role in all this will not be surprising. A vegetarian since 2017, he founded the Vietnamese Vegetarian Community ANCHAY.VN in 2020. It has since become one of Vietnam's main platforms for sharing knowledge about vegetarianism and veganism, with close ties to the country's plant-based restaurants and vegan chefs. He also runs his own media channel, An Chay TV, which he sometimes uses to share news from the international movement. He brought more than a decade of experience in digital marketing and e-commerce to the IVU Vegan Food Academy, which he has supported since its beginning. He also played a central part in developing the IVU Vegan Certification for food establishments. He was appointed IVU Representative for Vietnam in April 2023 and became Asia Regional Representative in January 2024.

Connecting a Vietnamese university, a Malaysian vegetarian society and a pan-Asian vegetarian union requires someone with trusted relationships in all three. This is how the International Vegetarian Union has worked since 1908. It is an umbrella organisation that links independent vegetarian and vegan groups around the world without directing them, and its strength depends on connections like these, made one relationship at a time.

In six weeks, those connections will come together in a university in Ho Chi Minh City. Last year's edition set a high standard. This year's has already begun building across borders.

From the left Mr. Thao Le (IVU ASIA REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE), Rajkumar Sheth (Malaysian Vegetarian Society) and Ms Xuan

Sources: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-HCM (hcmussh.edu.vn), September 20, 2026; IVU coverage of the International Vegetarian Conference 2025. Event information provided by Thao Le.