R & D ANNUAL REPORT 2016

The Centre for Chinese Studies' (CCS) Sinology Unit organised the Persidangan Kebangsaan Tamadun Islam & Tamadun Asia 2016 (National Conference on Islamic and Asian Civilisation 2016) on 14 July 2016 at Sungai Long Campus.Themed 'Ke Arah Pemantapan Masyarakat Bertamadun (Towards Consolidating a Civilised Society)', the conference was set to congregate scholars from multiple disciplines to explore and exchange ideas on the subject of civilisation through presentations, dialogues, and discussions.

 Present at the opening ceremony were UTAR's President YBhg Ir Prof Academician Dato' Dr Chuah Hean Teik, Universiti Brunei Darussalam's YBhg Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, the Organising Chairperson Assoc Prof Tee Boon Chuan, and UTAR's ICS Dean Assoc Prof Chong Siou Wei.

The conference began with a keynote address by Prof Osman, followed by four conference sessions with the respective sub-themes of Malay, Chinese, Islamic, and Indian Civilisation. Each session was chaired by moderators, respectively Dr Rohaida Haron and Dr Ling Tek Soon from University of Malaya (UM), as well as Dr Azizi Umar and Dr Ravichandra Moorthy from National University of Malaysia (UKM).

There were some 80 participants at the conference including scholars, academics, and students from local and private varsities such as UM, UKM, UTAR, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, and UCSI University.

The Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS), UTAR together with The Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia and co-organizer Center for The Humanities, National Sun Yat-sen University jointly organized the conference at The Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia, SS2, Petaling Jaya from 20^th to 21^st August 2016.

The conference was set to congregate international scholars with diverse expertise in the relevant disciplines to promote international academic exchange and recognize with special focus on the dissemination and influence of Chao Foon Periodicals 《蕉风》on Malaysian Chinese Modernist Literature.

. Also present at the conference were 14 prominent local and mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore scholars presenting 14 conference papers.

The Perak Chinese Mining Association and the Kinta Tin Mining (Gravel Pump) Museum teamed up with UTAR Centre for Chinese Studies and Department of Soft Skills Competency organized an international conference titled "Perak's Prominent Pioneers in the Tin Mining Industry (1848-1957)"

The inaugural international conference was launched by State Executive Councilor Datuk Dr. Mah Hang Soon and saw a line-up of presenters including academicians from Malaysia, Taiwan and Macau presenting findings on prominent tin mining industry pioneers.

These pioneers made their mark in the Kinta Valley's economic and educational development through various contributions.

Among the names discussed in the conference were Chung Keng Kwee, Chin Ah Yam, Ng Boo Bee, Leong Fee, Foo Choo Choon, Foo Choong Yit, Eu Tong Sen, Chung Thye Phin and Lau Pak Khuan.

The Tin Mining Festival 2016 was held by the Perak Chinese Mining Association in collaboration with the Kinta Tin Mining (Gravel Pump) Museum, UTAR Centre for Chinese Studies and Department of Soft Skills Competency to celebrate the founding of the mining association, as well as to recognize the activities and struggles of pioneering communities in Perak.

 During the festival, a book titled The Tin Industry of the Past for the Future was launched. The book was edited and compiled by UTAR Centre for Chinese Studies Chairman Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wong Wun Bin.

To help visitors to festival gain insight into the Kinta Valley's rich history in tin mining, a series of tin mining-themed activities were organized, including guided tours, games, poetry recitals, singing sessions and demonstrations of "dulang washing" technique of mining for tin.

Oct 24 was chosen by the mining association as the day to celebrate the Tin Festival to commemorate the day in 1985 when the tin market collapsed.

Tin mining was a thriving industry which contributed significantly to the country's economic growth in the 19th century.

Aimed to be a valued platform for researchers and scholars to share thoughts on their research findings particularly in the aspects of classical Chinese poetry, the conference was a joint collaboration between the Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS)'s Sinology Unit, Mencius Institute and UTAR Chinese Studies Society. It was sponsored by Nirvana Asia Limited, Chong De Culture and Education Foundation, and Ban Kah Chai Group.

The two-day conference saw 29 papers submitted from an impressive group comprising approximately 90 local and foreign participants, hailing from as far afield as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The conference was divided into nine sessions, two of which saw participation by postgraduate students from local and international universities. Topics of discussion included the spread and acceptance of classical poetry, the writing of classical poetry in Malaysia, literature, theory and practice, poetics, Song iambic verse and Yuan drama.

Pioneer members from local poetry societies, such as the Adviser of the Poetry Group of Penang Art Society (槟城艺术协会诗词组) Zhou Zi Shan and Ipoh Shan Cheng Poetry Society (怡保山城诗社) Xu Chi Qing were also invited by the organizers along with Prof. Zhang Hai Ou from the Department of Chinese, Sun Yat-Sen University, China and Prof. Liao Yi-Jin from the Department of Chinese, Chinese Culture University, Taiwan to join a roundtable discussion. It was an inspired and remarkable cross-regional dialogue on classical Chinese poetry.

UTAR together with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Quemoy University (NQU) and Kim Mooi Association Selangor held the International Conference on Quemoy Studies 2016 (2016年金门学国际学术研讨会) at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 26^th and 27^th November 2016.

In 2011, Tan Sri Yeoh's fund to UTAR totaling RM300,000 helped to initiate a collaboration with National Quemoy University, National Cheng Kung University, and Xiamen University on a Min-nan cultural research project. Later, the Min-nan Cultural Studies Unit was established on 1 January 2012 to implement the aims and objectives of the program, in order to make Min-nan Cultural Studies plan became the UTAR key research projects. In view of this, in order to promote cross-university, cross-border research of Min-nan Cultural Studies and Quemoy Studies, Min-nan Cultural Studies Unit，Centre of Chinese Studies, UTAR and Institute of Chinese Studies host the "International Conference on Quemoy Studies, 2016".

 Succeeding the previous Quemoy studies conference held in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 this was the first to be held in Southeast Asia and UTAR, with the aim to congregate more researchers in the region and promote Quemoy studies on an intervarsity and international platform. This conference saw the presence of researchers and experts from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. 

(The Quest) and a forum themed 'Quemoy Studies and Min Nan Culture'.