Thought leaders: (From left) Prof Zhang and Prof Ewe.
Malaysia and China jointly recognise UTAR’s Asean-focused centre
KAJANG: With the goal of a prosperous future for all, Malaysia and China have officially recognised the establishment of an Asean Research Centre for a Community with a Shared Future.
Founded in a joint effort by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and the Communication University of China, both governments had welcomed the new centre as a step towards advancing humanity.
UTAR president Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat said the recognition from both governments showcased the high expectations for the centre to provide notable contributions to society, particularly on its emphasis of a shared future.
“Asean and Malaysia are home to multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious societies.
“Coupled with the current emphasis on environmental, social and governance practices, these elements reflect the implementation of the centre’s shared future concept.
“This philosophy also aligns with UTAR’s six pillars of holistic education – ethics, intellect, physical, social, aesthetics and creativity – where ‘social’ encourages students to embrace diversity and harmonises with the vision of a community with a shared future,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Ewe said the collaboration between the two institutions would deepen key academic research amid the threat of natural disasters, global warming and various crises.
“This is not UTAR’s first collaboration with foreign institutions as we have worked with universities, hospitals and organisations from Asean, Europe and the United States to promote human welfare and advance the concept of a community with a shared future.
“This is how UTAR hopes to contribute to human coexistence and shared prosperity through education,” Prof Ewe added.
Communication University of China president Prof Zhang Shuting also voiced his hope that the centre would serve as a world-class academic platform for scholars throughout the world.
By doing so, he said, this would promote the exchange and integration of diverse perspectives, elevate related research and contribute to tackling global challenges such as climate change, public health crises and regional conflicts.
Zhang stressed that building a community with a shared future is a key approach to addressing these issues.
“Asean plays a crucial role in the global landscape as a vital hub connecting Asia and other regions. Hence, establishing a China-Asean community with a shared future is of great importance,” he said.
He also noted that China and Asean have fostered increasingly close cooperation in economic, cultural and political fields.
“Our two universities are highly complementary – Communication University of China has strong expertise in international communication, while UTAR excels in South-East Asian studies.
“With a solid foundation of cooperation, the establishment of the research centre is both timely and strategic,” he said.
He expressed hope that the centre would evolve into a world-class institution attracting top scholars and researchers globally, produce high-impact research outcomes and taking the lead in theoretical innovation and policy recommendations.
This would provide comprehensive and multi-layered intellectual support for building a China-Asean community with a shared future, he said.
The UTAR Asean Research Centre for a Community with a Shared Future began operations on Jan 1 and held its plaque unveiling ceremony on April 15.
In addition to research, the centre will organise lectures on international topics, training programmes and collaborative projects between academia and industry, while encouraging the public to actively participate in dialogues addressing global and regional challenges.
