Language and Asian culture expert, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Pillai, delivered a public lecture on the heritage of language and culture at the Faculty of Education (FKIP) at Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) on Friday, May 12th, 2023. The virtual event was organized under the title “International Guest Lecturer: Research on Heritage Language and Culture.”
The event, initiated by the Departments of English Education and Indonesian Education at FKIP USK, was attended by professors and students from various universities, both within Aceh and beyond.
“This activity is the implementation of an MoU between FKIP USK and the University of Malaya. The participants in attendance numbered 238 individuals. They included undergraduate and graduate students, professors, and professionals. Some participants came from campuses in Aceh, Medan, Java, Malaysia, and Thailand,” stated Prof. Yunisrina Qismullah Yusuf, one of the organizing committee members who also served as the moderator for the Guest Lecturer on that day.
Prof. Stefanie, a faculty member at one of the world’s top Q100 universities, presented a paper on the importance of preserving language and culture. According to Prof. Stefanie, language is not merely a tool for communication; it is more than that—it is an identity.
Prof. Stefanie herself acknowledged that her research focus has been on the diverse languages and cultures of Asia. So far, she has conducted research on various aspects of Malaysian English and the Portuguese Melaka or Papia Cristang language. She has documented the endangered Portuguese Melaka language at https://www.elararchive.org/dk0123/.
“Prof. Stefanie has a strong concentration on endangered languages. She is a former dean and full professor at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics at the Universiti Malaya (UM). We are fortunate to gain knowledge from an expert whose university is ranked among the top Q100 in the world,” added Prof. Yunisrina.
Three important points emphasized by Prof. Stefanie in her presentation are linguistic revitalization, language and cultural heritage, and the importance of strengthening research in the field of language and cultural heritage.
The Head of the Department of English Language Education, Prof. Dr. Asnawi, M.Pd., expressed his gratitude to Stefanie for sharing knowledge about language and culture research.
“May this event lead to the emergence of many language and culture researchers from FKIP USK who study the language and ancestral heritage of Aceh as an Acehnese identity. This is because Aceh’s past represents a sovereignty that was renowned almost worldwide,” said Prof. Asnawi.
Source: https://atjehwatch.com/2023/05/12/pakar-linguistik-dan-budaya-asia-beri-kuliah-umum-di-fkip-usk/
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