AIU Collaborates with ASEAN-IPR to Create a Platform for Women Peacebuilders in the Region
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 January 2025 – YBhg. Prof. Ir. Dato’ Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar, Vice Chancellor and President of Albukhary International University (AIU), emphasized the university’s dedication to advancing peace and security in Malaysia and the ASEAN region during his opening remarks at the National Round Table Discussion (RTD) yesterday, at Pusat Dialog Peradaban, Universiti Malaya.
Speaking at the event, he remarked, “AlU is proud to support this significant initiative, promoting peace and security across Malaysia and the ASEAN region, with a particular focus on emphasizing the crucial role of women in community-level mediation and conflict resolution. This is indeed aligned with our vision to provide solutions to promote the convergence of ideas towards a sustainable world.“
With Malaysia assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, AlU’s contributions carry even greater importance. “We have empowered marginalized groups in this region through scholarships and inclusive admissions and will continue to engage meaningfully in critical discussions on political, security, and social issues shaping the region,” he stated.
“This milestone supports the agenda of promoting peace while strengthening the role of women as catalysts for change in community-level mediation and conflict resolution,” he added.
The National RTD, entitled “Malaysian Women Building Peace through Community Mediation,” fosters inclusive and participatory dialogue among peacebuilders in Malaysia. It is aimed to ensure that the Malaysia Country Report contributes effectively by promoting a multi-stakeholder approach in working towards sustainable peace both nationally and regionally. As such the RTD participants represented diverse backgrounds from government agencies, including the security sector, NGOs, academe, and community-based leaders who are all keen to develop the potential of community mediation as a peacebuilding strategy.
The research, spanning six to seven months, focuses on Malaysian women’s contributions to community mediation. It is a collaborative effort involving renowned institutions and scholars, including Universiti Malaya, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Enforcement, Leadership, and Management University, and Universiti Sains Malaysia. The findings will play a pivotal role in advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda.
AIU’s active participation is spearheaded by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayesah Uy Abubakar, of the School of Business and Social Sciences (SBSS). She serves as the Lead Researcher and National Coordinator for the Research on Women and Peace Processes under the ASEAN-Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR) and is also a member of the ASEAN Women Peace Registry representing Malaysia.
The National RTD was co-organised by the Pusat Dialog Peradaban, Universiti Malaya under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Khadijah Mohd Khambali@Hambali, as Director, and Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Azizan Baharuddin, as co-researcher of the project.
The discussions proved to be a productive session with lively exchanges of views and knowledge sharing among participants who were all fully supportive of this initiative. The project will conclude with the preparation of a report, which is anticipated to be finalized within two weeks. The report will be made available on the ASEAN-IPR’s official website.
