Director’s Foreword

Associate Prof. Dr. Noor Zalina Bt Mahmood

Director (Malaysia), Kong Zi Institute

Welcome to the website of Kong Zi Institute University of Malaya (KZIUM). First and foremost, on behalf of the management and ‘family members’ of the Malaysian Kong Zi Institute in particular and the world Kong Zi fraternity in general, allow us to express our appreciation and gratitude to your good self for ‘visiting’ our virtual premise. KZIUM was established in 2009 as a Government-to-Government (G to G) program between the governments of China and Malaysia. University Malaya (UM) was selected as the host for Malaysia and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) for China.

The primary responsibility for KZIUM is the teaching of Mandarin language to non-Chinese speaking citizens. So far we have taught over 18,000 students from public university, schools, public and private agencies. Our secondary role is the promotion of the mainland Chinese culture through social-based activities such as the celebration of the various Chinese festivals, martial arts classes (‘Tai chi’), Chinese calligraphy exhibition, Chinese cuisine and the practice traditional Chinese medicines. Above all, the birth of KZIUM strengthened the already cordial relationship between the two nations. It is the second bridge linking China and Malaysia and is not restricted to the above said roles but may go beyond that as for example in facilitating businesses, research, exchange and attachment programs. It is our pleasure to have you on board and greatly honored by it. We highly appreciate your participation in our programs, your ideas and other forms of contribution. We believe that, the more people inspire to explore other nations, other cultures and religions, the more people will communicate. This is how we bridge.

Prof. Zhu Li, Director (China)

Kong Zi Institute University of Malaya

The world is changing. More than 150 years ago, Chinese language was not allowed to be taught to foreigners, because the Chinese believe their language is a gift from heaven to keep their country above all other nations. But now, the Kong Zi Institute is here, doing its best to promote Mandarin and Chinese culture. Why the change, because we think the world should be peaceful and all nations are equal, no one is supposed to be superior to others. Peace and harmony are the essences of Chinese culture. We hope that by learning Chinese language, you will get a better understanding of Chinese culture and appreciate the good nature of China.

Modern technology has made the earth a smaller planet, but it doesn’t automatically bring people’s heart closer. Only through communication and mutual understanding, we can shorten the distance between countries, nations and persons. That is the reason two countries, two universities have been working together to establish this Kong Zi Institute. We also look forward to meeting and working with all friends who share the same vision and attitude to make the world a better place for us and the future generations.