The Wacana Borneo-Nusantara series, organised by the Institute of Borneo Studies and the Nusantara Chair, featured renowned sociologist Professor Dr Syed Farid Alatas
The Wacana Borneo-Nusantara series was held again, featuring a prominent speaker, Professor Dr Syed Farid Alatas, who is well known not only in Malaysia but also internationally. He is a Professor of Sociology at the National University of Singapore since 1992, and previously served as Head of the Department of Malay Studies at NUS from 2007 to 2013. Prior to that, he was a lecturer at the University of Malaya in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies.
The Institute of Borneo Studies, together with the Nusantara Chair, successfully organised the programme over two days, on 6 and 7 April 2026. The series featured four sessions, beginning with a writing workshop titled “How to Embed the Principle of Autonomous Knowledge in Your Research and Writing?”. This was followed by a reading circle on his book, Hegemoni dan Kemandirian Diri, moderated by Mr Shazani Masri.
Around 50 participants attended these sessions, including postgraduate students, lecturers, researchers, government officers, and members of the public. The event was also attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH), Dr Haslina Hashim. During the sessions, he shared insights on producing quality research.
In the afternoon, the programme continued with the Nusantara Chair Lecture titled “Intellectual Decolonization and Autonomous Discourse: Lessons for Borneo Studies”. Among the distinguished guests were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Ir Dr Siti Norlinda, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Dr Fitri Suraya, and the Deputy Dean of FSSH, Professor Dr Wong. The lecture attracted more than 50 participants. He emphasised that critical thinking should not only focus on identifying issues but also on proposing practical solutions.
The final session was a public lecture held in collaboration with Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, titled “The Library as a Gauge of Civilization”. During the lecture, he referred to the book Libraries, written by his late father, Professor Syed Hussein Alatas. He explained how libraries have historically played an important role in the development of civilisation. This session attracted more than 90 attendees.