CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS COLONIALISM
Experts to assess impact of colonial powers in Malay archipelago
CIVILISATIONAL challenges during the colonial era in the Malay archipelago are among the topics for discussions at the annual international conference on history and culture here next week.
The two-day conference on Sept 3 and 4, organised by International Council for Historical and Cultural Cooperation-Southeast Asia (ICHCC- SEA) with the Malaysian Historical Society,
would involve the presentation of 15 papers by academicians and historians from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States.
It will be held at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTACIIUM).
The Shaikh al-Kulliyyah at ISTAC-IIUM, Professor Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, said the goal of holding the conference was to boost cooperation and research in history and civilisation.
Osman is ISTAC’s chair holder of Al-Ghazali of Epistemology and Civilisational Studies and Renewal.
“For the sixth instalment of the conference, we have speakers who will present topics on the colonial period in the Malay archipelago and civilisation issues,” Osman said here yesterday.
“They will assess the impact of colonial powers in the Malay archipelago, mainly in terms of language and culture.”
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to deliver a keynote speech.
Admission to the opening session is free, while the participation fee is RM50 for students, RM100 for Malaysians and US$100 (RM421) for international participants.
More than 200 participants are expected.
The discussions involve six sub-themes, such as the arrival of colonialists, significance of circumnavigation to history, and colonisation and contemporary public policy.