The inaugural GEOSEA was convened in 1972 at University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur by the four co-founding institutions: Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM), Ikatan Ahli Geologi Indonesia (IAGI), Geological Society of the Philippines and Geological Society of Thailand. The meeting was attended by about 280 geoscientists from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, as well as geologists from Europe, Australia and America.