Conference on civilisation

Prof Osman (fifth from right) and Prof Chuah (centre) with some presenters

The Institute of Chinese Studies’ (ICS) Sinology Unit organised the Persidangan Kebangsaan Tamadun Islam & Tamadun Asia 2016 (National Conference on Islamic and Asian Civilisation 2016) on 14 July 2016 at Sungai Long Campus.Themed ‘Ke Arah Pemantapan Masyarakat Bertamadun (Towards Consolidating a Civilised Society)’, the conference was set to congregate scholars from multiple disciplines to explore and exchange ideas on the subject of civilisation through presentations, dialogues, and discussions.

Present at the opening ceremony were UTAR’s President YBhg Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s YBhg Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, the Organising Chairperson Assoc Prof Tee Boon Chuan, and UTAR’s ICS Dean Assoc Prof Chong Siou Wei.

Prof Chuah said, “This conference is a channel for us to better understand one another and address differences positively.” Citing UTAR students and alumni’s success at the international workplace, he explained, “Living in this diverse society enables us to respect one another as well as to embrace other cultures and languages easily. Such an academic platform can be an eye-opener for us to identify our strengths and realise how diversity can be a huge advantage for us to move towards a more civilised Malaysian society.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Tee mentioned, “Civilisation Studies is a compulsory subject in all Malaysian higher learning institutions. It helps us to improve our understanding of the histories, cultures, and social development of different civilisations, and to further discover the profound knowledge in this subject. I am hopeful that the fruits of today’s conference will contribute to the subject and will become more relatable to the public in the foreseeable future.”

The conference began with a keynote address by Prof Osman, followed by four conference sessions with the respective sub-themes of Malay, Chinese, Islamic, and Indian Civilisation. Each session was chaired by moderators, respectively Dr Rohaida Haron and Dr Ling Tek Soon from University of Malaya (UM), as well as Dr Azizi Umar and Dr Ravichandra Moorthy from National University of Malaysia (UKM).

There were some 80 participants at the conference including scholars, academics, and students from local and private varsities such as UM, UKM, UTAR, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, and UCSI University.

Prof Osman Bakar, the keynote speaker of the conference