Malaysian debut: Dr Mah (centre), Chan (third from left) and Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies chairman Yau Teck Kong (third from right) with community and education leaders involved in the ‘Master Series’ featuring key speaker Prof Zhang in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Malaysia-China diplomatic ties. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A special “Master Series” will be held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China.
Malaysian Education Exchange Association (MEEA) president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said Fudan University China Research Institute Dean Prof Zhang Weiwei, a renowned scholar in China, will be the first to be part of the inaugural series.
“Prof Zhang is a renowned figure in the field of China studies,” he said at the announcement yesterday at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).
Prof Zhang, he added, is also a member of China’s National Think Tanks Council, Shanghai Chunqiu Institute for Strategic and Development chairman and Eastern Academic Journal editor-in-chief, among others.
MEEA is an NGO engaged in education cooperation and exchanges globally.
Dr Mah said the series will be one of the highlights for the Chinese community in Malaysia this year, covering topics such as China studies, political and economic reform, Chinese diaspora, regional development and global trends.
He added that they will be bringing in other experts from around the world to be part of the lecture series.
Among the talks scheduled to be given by Prof Zhang, he said, are lectures titled “What is Win-Win? What is Lose-Lose? Viewing Europe from Asia” and “Flag of Overseas Chinese, Sino Sacrifices and Glories” to be held at the TAR UMT Auditorium on May 9.
He also said the talks will be uploaded and shared through the China-based intellectual and political analysis programme “China Now”.
“For this occasion, we have gained the participation of the ‘China Now’ programme, bringing this popular programme to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to present Malaysia to audiences in China and around the world,” he said, adding this is the first time a foreign country is part of the programme hosted by Prof Zhang.
TAR UMT Board of Governors chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy said the university is honoured to be a partner in the series that is being held in conjunction with the 50th-anniversary celebration of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China.
In 50 years, he said, we have seen how our country has grown, having first established diplomatic ties in 1974.
“Subsequently, with effort given by the leaders of both countries, we have brought these ties to very high levels,” said Chan, who is also the MEEA adviser.
The series of lectures is organised by the MEEA in collaboration with several local and international institutions including Chinese intellectual and political programme “China Now”, Universiti Malaya’s (UM) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and their Department of Chinese Studies Alumni Association, Malaysian Chinese Research Centre, MCA Public Policy and People’s Livelihood Research Advisory Committee and TAR UMT.
Among the sponsors are Lee & Man Paper, NiuFu Holding Sdn Bhd, Hai-O Enterprise, Central Oasis and FIVE Petroleum Malaysia.
