LONDON, 5 October 2016 – UKM’s Institute of Malay World and Civilization (ATMA)’s added another feather to its cap when it successfully organized the Studies in the Malay World International Conference 2016, in London, recently.

ATMA’s initiative can be seen as a noble effort in elevating the level of Malay Studies as an important body of knowledge especially in relations to cultural and national identity.

The two-day conference was brought together in collaboration with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, the Department of South East Asia, University of London and the High Commision of Malaysia, London and saw a total of 48 research papers on various fields of Malay studies being presented.

At the opening ceremony, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim delivered his keynote address titled The Challenge of Malay Studies & Islamic Civilization while Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin delivered the second keynote address titled Malay Studies and the Future: The Need to Build a New Narrative.

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled, who is also Johor’s Menteri Besar extended an offer to any European university to collaborate with Malaysia’s Public University in establishing their Malay Studies Faculty in Johor.

He also offered an opportunity to university students who are interested with the Malay culture to pursue an internship with Yayasan Warisan Johor.

The conference was attended by Malaysia’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom H.E Dato’ Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi, UKM Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and International Affairs, Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Riza Atiq Abdullah O.K. Rahmat and ATMA director Prof. Dr. Nor Hashimah Jalaluddin.