Recent Events at Ohio University

The Tun Abdul Razak Chair played host to visiting top management from UPM who was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris and UiTM, who was represented by its DVC (Academic and International), Prof. Dr. Ir. Suhaimi Abdul Talib on behalf of Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Hassan Said.The honored guests arrived at Ohio University a few days prior to the International Conference, and were guests of OHIO Vice Provost for Global Affairs & International Studies Dr. Lorna Jean Edmonds. Their programs were filled with site visits and meetings with OHIO’s faculty/ centers/ institutes that shared similar interests with UPM and UiTM.

Shown at a luncheon at the Yamada International House on March 23, 2017, are (from right to left) College of Arts & Sciences Dean Robert Frank , UPM Vice Chancellor Aini Ideris, Vice Provost for Global Affairs and International Studies Lorna Jean Edmonds, Shamsul AB, MPN Dep Chairman & KITA Founding Director, Vice President for Research and Creative Activity & Dean of the Graduate College Joe Shields, UiTM DVC Suhaimi Abd Talib, Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management Craig Cornell, and Tun Abdul Razak Chair Jayum Anak Jawan.

Shown at a dinner reception hosted by Ohio University Vice Provost for Global Affairs and International Studies Lorna Jean Edmonds are Distinguished Professor Shamsul A.B., Professor Brooke Hallowell,  UPM Vice Chancellor Aini Ideris, UiTM DVC Suhaimi Abd Talib,Senior Vice President for Instructional Innovation Brad Cohen, Tun Abdul Razak Chair Jawan Anak Jayum and Professor Ed Yost.

The first book was released during the March 24, 2017 Welcome Reception for the Malaysia and The World international conference held at Ohio University.

Ohio University's Tun Abdul Razak Chair, in collaboration with the Ohio University Office of Global Affairs & International Studies and the Department of Political Science, hosted the International Conference "MALAYSIA AND THE WORLD: Cross-Regional Perspectives on Race, Religion, & Ethnic Identity," on March 24-26, 2017.

The conference was designed to highlight Malaysia’s profile and role on the world stage by bringing together leading scholars from Malaysia, Europe, and North America. The intellectual academic exchange provided a venue for competing comparative perspectives on Malaysia and other countries. The highlights of the International Conference included keynote addresses by:

• Malaysia’s Distinguished Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of UKM and the National Council of Professors, who spoke on “The Making of Malaysia’s National Unity Blueprint: Redefining Unity in Malaysia”
• UPM VC, Prof Datin Paduka Aini Ideris, who spoke on the role of research universities in nation building.

The conference also featured talks by leading American scholars who have done extensive work on Malaysia such as:

• Donald L. Horowitz, the James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus of Duke University
• Professor Meredith Weiss of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs, State University of NY at Albany.

Other distinguished and notable speakers from Malaysia included:

• UPM’s Visiting Professor at Wailalak University, Thailand, Professor Ahmad Tarmizi Talib, who gave a presentation on on “Muslim – Non-Muslim Relations in Malaysia"
• UNIMAS Professor Stanley Bye Kadam Kiai, who discussed “the Politics of Federalism: reflecting on the role Sarawak and Sabah played in the formation of Malaysia"
• Tun Abdul Razak Chair Professor Jayum Jawan, who is from UPM, gave a presentation on “Race & Ethnic Relations: What can Malaysia and the US learn from each other?”

The three day conference had speakers addressing four major themes:

1. Post-Colonial Legacies and Its Impact
2. Majority-Minority Relations
3. Electoral Politics
4. Islam, the State and Law.

Prominent faculty from Ohio University also participated and enriched the discourses by bringing their diverse experiences of doing research on similar themes in the US, Europe and Africa.

For additional information, please emaill the Tun Abdul Razak Chair at   jawan@ohio.edu

On Sept. 14-17, 2016, Ohio University hosted the Graduate Colloquium on Malaysian Studies. Coordinated by Tun Abdul Razak Chair Jawan Jayum, the Colloquium brought together 17 graduate students from around the world who are completing research in various fields with a Malaysian focus.

Ohio University was honored to the seminar, “Empowering Women: Experiences from Malaysia” on Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the Yamada International House.

The seminar featured OHIO alumnus Dato Ir. Alice Jawan Empaling, an excellent speaker whose message on empowerment resonated with students, faculty, staff and community residents.

A graduate of OHIO’s Executive MBA program, she been recognized by the Malaysian government for her leadership through serving in roles such as the President of the General Conference of Methodist Women, Methodist Church of Malaysia, General Manager of the Sibu Water Board and leading several and social organizations. 

The event was coordinated by OHIO’s Tun Abdul Razak Chair Professor Jayum Anak Jawan.

On Aug. 21-22, 2016, Razak Chair Jayum Anak Jawan played host to the Director General of the National Library of Malaysia, Hjh. Nafisah Ahmad, and to the Senior Deputy Director, Ms. Chin Loy Jyoon. They had previously attended the International Library Conference 2016 held in Columbus, Ohio. Nafisah and Chin made the trip to Ohio Universiy after their conference ended in order to renew the National Library’s networking and commitment to work to build the Malaysia collection in Ohio’s Alden library.

At Ohio University, Nafisah and Chin were received by Dean of Libraries Scott Seaman and Jeff Ferrier, the Curator of the International Collection. They were given a briefing and a tour of the Southeast Asian and Malaysia collections. The guests were later treated to a luncheon by Ohio’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs and International Studies, Lorna Jean Edmonds.

Ohio University’s Tun Abdul Razak Chair, Professor Jayum Jawan, recently hosted a half-day seminar on campus focusing on Malaysia’s National Security and the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The seminar, held on April 10, was jointly organized with Malaysia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Royal Malaysian Police. Speakers at the seminar included  religious teacher Dr. Zamihan Mat Zin from the Malaysian Ministry of Internal Affairs, senior police officer Wan Ruzailan Wan Mat Rusoff of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Royal Malaysian Police, and Associate Professor Dr. Mohd. Hizam Hanafiah of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The speakers discussed topics including scenarios regarding the rise of the threat of Islamic States in Malaysia, what the public needs to know, and how the Malaysian authority is dealing with this threat to national security and peace.

The seminar attracted members of the Malaysian student communities from Ohio University, Ohio State University and Michigan State University.

The second Brown Bag Seminar on "Contemporary Development in Malaysian Politics" by Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin was held on Wednesday October 13, in the Yamada International House.

The first Brown Bag Seminar was on "Understanding Malaysian Politics" by Dr. Jayum Jawan. It was held on Wednesday, September 30, in the Yamada International House.

Held in Yamada International House Room 009, the seminar attempted to provide tools by which to understand the dynamics and  dynamism of the new phenomenon in Malaysia politics. The talk focused on topics such as Malay dominance, inter ethnic politics, and the role of Sarawak/Sabah  in national politics.