Makassar, Indonesia – The Regional Malay Studies Empowerment Community Program, a collaboration between Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Athirah Islamic School Bukit Baruga, was successfully held on October 29, 2024, at the Gymnasium of Athirah Islamic School, Makassar. This program, initiated by the Department of Malay Language, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication (FBMK) UPM, aimed to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and understanding of Malay culture among regional students.

The UPM delegation, consisting of 12 members, was led by Prof. Madya Datin Dr. Nik Rafidah Nik Muhamad Affendi, Head of the Department of Malay Language, FBMK UPM, who also served as the Project Leader for the community program. The presence of the delegation highlighted UPM’s commitment to supporting the empowerment of regional Malay studies and introducing Malay culture to students in Indonesia.

In addition to the cultural activities, an engaging interactive learning session was held, featuring a French language teaching session by the Dean of FBMK, Prof. Madya Dr. Hazlina Abdul Halim. This activity received a warm response from the students, who were interested in exploring various languages, showing their curiosity not only about Malay culture but also their openness to other languages and cultures.

This collaboration is seen as a noble effort to foster a deeper cultural understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia. The school expressed its gratitude to UPM for the initiative and cooperation, reflecting the strong commitment from both sides in upholding and promoting regional Malay knowledge and culture. It is hoped that this program will serve as the beginning of more educational collaborations between the two countries in the future.

Date of Input: 06/01/2025 | Updated: 06/01/2025 | amira.rahim