Chan (fourth from left) and Prof Wong (fourth from right) with committee members at the launch of the conference marking UM Department of Chinese Studies’ 60th anniversary. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
AN iNTERNATIONAL sinology conference in Kuala Lumpur this weekend will feature 27 distinguished professors from around the world.
Sinology is the study of Chinese language, history, customs and politics.
Universiti Malaya (UM) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences dean Prof Datuk Dr Danny Wong Tze Ken said the world’s leading minds in sinology are set to breathe new life into the field by giving insights into the future of Chinese culture and language.
The “Development and Future of Sinology in the 21st Century” conference is scheduled for Oct 28 and 29 at the university.
“The discussions provided by these professors in various academic fields will aid the UM Chinese Studies Department in discovering new directions and positioning itself effectively,” he said at a press conference held at the university.
Prof Wong said the conference would host 27 scholars representing the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.
“This conference is highly anticipated as it brings together the creme de la creme of Chinese studies,” he said.
The conference is organised by the UM Chinese Studies Department to mark its 60th anniversary and is expected to draw about 400 guests.
A highlight of the conference will be the gala dinner,which will be attended by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The university’s Alumni Association of the Department of Chinese Studies (Pejati) honorary chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy said the gala dinner would feature various Chinese cultural shows.
There will be performances of the traditional gu zheng (Chinese plucked zither) instrument as well as renditions of classics of Malaysian film and music legend Tan Sri P. Ramlee, in addition to cultural dances.
On the contributions of the UM Chinese Studies Department over the past 60 years, Chan said one of its most significant achievements was introducing more non-Chinese individuals to Chinese literature and Chinese culture.
“Regardless of which political party comes into power, Chinese education in Malaysia should not be neglected because it is an ancestral heritage.
“UM’s Chinese Studies Department is a ‘vital source’ of Chinese education in the country as it nurtures staff for teacher training colleges as well as Chinese primary and secondary schools, including myself,” he said.
Chan previously taught non-Chinese students at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and UM.
“The Chinese Studies Department also established the Hong Lou Meng Research Centre and translated Chinese classical literature and history works into Malay, allowing more people to understand Chinese culture,” he said.
Hong Lou Meng is acclaimed as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber.
Chan said Hong Lou Meng was his favourite work.
He will be moderating the panel discussion at the conference that will feature Prof Dr Sun Wei Ke from the Chinese National Academy of Arts, Prof Dr Ou Li-Chuan from the National Taiwan University and Prof Dr Hung Tao from the City University of Hong Kong.
They will discuss the prospects of Chinese classical literature, specifically Hong Lou Meng.
