KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — A Malay Studies chair will be established at a university in Russia to empower the study of Bahasa Malaysia at the international level, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.
Zambry, who is in St Petersburg, Russia, leading the Malaysian delegation to the Third Meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation Malaysia-Russia (JCESTC) said he and Russian Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov agreed to the proposal.
“This matter will be further discussed at a higher level before it is finalised as Bahasa Malaysia is offered as a programme at several prominent universities in Russia,” he said in a statement today.
Zambry said the course curriculum would include Malay literature, the history of Bahasa Malaysia, as well as the Malay and Nusantara cultural background.
Meanwhile, he said that the establishment of the Malay Studies chair will further elevate the prestige of Bahasa Malaysia internationally, with improved cooperation between the Russian and Malaysian governments.
“I have also suggested sending more Malay language lecturers and teachers from Malaysia to Russia, and at the same time, invite Russian lecturers to come to Malaysia for courses and to gain a deeper understanding of Malaysian culture,” he said.
The Higher Education Ministry has established the Malay Studies chair at several institutions worldwide, including BFSU China, Ohio University in the United States, Leiden University in the Netherlands, Victoria University in New Zealand, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea.
The Third JCESTC Meeting includes representatives from the Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry, the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry, the Education Ministry, and the Digital Ministry.
— Bernama
