BEIJING: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has consented to the renaming of the Chair of Malay Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) in his honour.
This academic chair, established in 2007 by the Higher Education Ministry, acknowledged the significant role of BFSU in promoting the Malay language in China.
As the first institution in China to offer Malay language courses, BFSU initiated this academic venture as early as 1962 under the leadership of the late Professor Wu Zongyu.
Currently, 17 higher education institutions in China provide Malay language courses, a testament to the continued interest in the Malay language among native Chinese speakers.
The inauguration of the Sultan Ibrahim Chair of Malay Studies was announced today at the gathering with the Malaysian diaspora in Beijing, China.
Malaysia's Ambassador to China Datuk Norman Muhamad in his address lauded the move.
He said the establishment of the Sultan Ibrahim Malay Studies Chair is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of BFSU and 16 other Chinese higher education institutions in uplifting and promoting the Malay language throughout China.
Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof Dr Azlinda Azman said the Sultan Ibrahim Malay Studies Chair reflects the institutional support of the Malay monarchs in advancing the internationalisation of the Malay language on a global stage.
She said His Majesty's decision to lend his name to this academic chair would enhance its prestige and influence.
Meanwhile, BFSU President Prof Jia Weijian also shared his excitement, as well as that of the BFSU community, on the new name.
He said this naming would invigorate BFSU's commitment to expanding the reach of the Malay language in China.
The Sultan Ibrahim Malay Studies Chair at BFSU is the Higher Education Ministry's fourth academic chair.
It joins Malay Studies Chairs at other esteemed institutions worldwide, including Ohio University in the United States (1979), Leiden University in the Netherlands (1991), Victoria University in New Zealand (1995), and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea (2005).