BEIJING: It was a trip down memory lane for Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he made a return visit with his son Nor Ashman to the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) here.
Najib first came to BFSU in 1996 when he was Education Minister while Nor Ashman spent a few weeks studying Mandarin at the university.
It was then that he received a proposal on the creation of the Malay Studies Chair in China to enhance global awareness of the Malay language and culture.
It was created in 2008 and the first appointee was Malay language expert Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan. The current Chair is Prof Dr Mohd Taib Dora.
In his speech, Najib called for added value to the Chair which could help in enhancing the cultural, values and humanitarian fields, expanding to the other cities of China where the Malay language or studies are offered.
“It should not remain just as it is. New methods and approaches should be thought out to enhance and expand its role,” he said at the opening of the four-day International Conference on Malay Studies 2014: Malaysia-China Relations at the BFSU yesterday.
The proposal was among five measures to strengthen Malaysia-China diplomatic relations over the next 40 years.
The other measures were stepping up cooperation in publications and translation, collaboration in research and intensifying exchanges of students and participants between Malaysia and China.
For Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries president Li Xiaolin, Najib’s visit yesterday brought back pleasant memories when her father, the then vice-premier Li Xiannian, was part of the Chinese delegation to welcome Tun Abdul Razak Hussein on his historic visit to China in 1974.
Coincidentally, Tang Wensheng, an interpreter who served during Razak’s trip to China 40 years ago, also attended the conference.
BFSU president Peng Long described Najib as an “old friend” of the university, adding that Najib was instrumental in boosting education cooperation between Malaysia and China.
“He has never stopped caring about the development of BFSU,” he added.
Peng said in 1996, Najib attended the opening ceremony of the International Malay Studies Conference, while in 1997 he had proposed to the Chinese Education Ministry to establish the China-Malay Study Centre here, and returned in 2005 for its opening ceremony when he was Deputy Prime Minister.
Peng said BFSU, established in 1941, works closely with the Malaysian Higher Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka to elevate its Malay language course to a professional standard.
Fourth-year Malay language student Li Zhenfeng, who spent a semester at UM, said learning Malay was a great way to know more about the Malaysian culture.
