Center for Malaysian Studies
1. About CMS (Center of Malaysian Studies)
1. About CMS (Center of Malaysian Studies)
Representative's Message
Founder Ikeda, who had the insight that the diversity of Malaysian society has "unlimited possibilities and a vast future", developed a dialogue with Malaysian intellectuals such as Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Majesty Sultan Azlan Shah, Former King of Malaysia and Chancellor of the University of Malaya, Royal Professor Ungku A. Aziz and Prof. Syed Hussain Alatas, Former Vice Chancellors of the University of Malaya. Soka University has also actively concluded academic agreements with Malaysian universities ahead of other universities, and has promoted and deepened multifaceted cooperation in education and research, including exchange programs, holding Pacific Rim Symposiums, and implementing large-scale research projects by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. International students from Malaysia have also made a significant contribution to the construction of our university. We will continue to make efforts in both research and education to further develop the initiatives that have been established over a long period of time at Soka University.
Objectives
- To promote research on Malaysia from the humanities and social sciences perspective.
- To encourage international collaborative research by focusing on the common social issues that Japan and Malaysia have.
- To contribute to achieving the vision and specific goals of Soka University's Grand Design from the perspectives of research, education, SDGs, and diversity.
Current Activities
- Applying for competitive external research funds
- Promoting joint research projects
- Proposing International Conference
- Holding research seminars and meetings to report the research output produced by the center.
- Conducting International Fieldwork I-II (short-term study abroad program in Malaysia)
2. People
2. People
Members
Universiti Malaya (University of Malaya)

Wong Tze Keng
Professor
Specialized field:
- History of Southeast Asia
- History of China
- China’s relations with Southeast Asia
- History of Sabah

Hanafi bin Hussin
Professor
Specialized field:
- Traditional Arts and Culture
- Ritual, performance & heritage

Hanizah Binti Idris
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
- Maritime Southeast Asia
- Policy and Development
- Ocean Governance

Nasrudin Md.Akhir
Specialized field:
- Japanese Foreign Policy
- East Asia Regionalism
- ASEAN-JAPAN Relation

Shuhaiza Hanim
Professor
Specialized field:
- Supply Chain Management
- Management Science

Erialdi Syahrial
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Ergonomics
- Supply chain management in industrial engineering
- New product and service management
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia)

Mohd Ikbal bin Mohd Huda
Senior Lecturer
Advisor of Center for Malaysian Studies
Specialized field:
- International Relations
- International Political Economy
- Japan’s Political Economy (政府開発援助/ODA)
- International Development
- Governance and International Cooperation with an area focus of ASEAN and East Asia

Mohd Shazwan Mokhtar
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Global history (imperialism and colonialism)
- Economic history (neo-mercantilism and global trade)
- Malaysian history (19th -20th Century)

Sity Daud
Professor
Specialized field:
- Developmental States
- Human security
- Elections

Azlizan Mat Enh
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
- International History
- European History
- Diplomatic History
- Women’s History
- Malaysia’s International Relations

Sharifah Nursyahidah Syed Annuar
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Political Science
- Cultural Politics, Labour Movement

Muhammad Rahimi Hasan
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Political Science
- Women and Politics
- Nationalism
Universiti Sains Malaysia

Khoo Suet Leng
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
- Creative Cities
- Creative & Cultural Industries/Economies
- Urban Heritage Conservation
- Human Capital Development

Lim Yoke Mui
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
- Heritage and Conservation
- Planning Administration and Practice
- Building Economics
- Quantity Surveying

Sivamurugan Pandian
Professor
Specialized field:
- Migration
- Nation Building
- Community Leadership

Siti Haslina Md Harizan
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Green Marketing
- Islamic Marketing
- Consumer Behaviour
- Sustainable Consumption
- Sustainability in Distance Education

Nur Hafeeza Binti Ahmad Pazil
Senior Lecturer
Specialized field:
- Sociology of Technology
- Digital Sociology
Soka University

Sugimoto Ichiro
Representative / Professor
Specialized field:
Economic Statistics, Economic History
Research theme:
1. Estimates of Historical GDP Estimates in Developing Countries
2. Economic History of Malaysia and Singapore

Utsumi Tomoko
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
Development Economics
Research theme:
Education and labor markets in developing countries

Chan Lih Shing
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
Development Economics
Research theme:
Education and labor markets in developing countries

Hartmut Lenz
Professor
Specialized field:
International Relations, Global Governance, Game Theory
Research theme:
Regional Integration, Conflict and Cooperation, Bargaining Theory, Global Governance, Game Theory and Research Methods

Michiyo Kakegawa
Professor
Specialized field:
Environmental Policy, Environmental Management, Environmental Economics, Political Ecology
Research theme:
Environmental policies and measures to strengthen compliance in Mekong region countries, and climate change measures

Mihoko Satogami
Associate Professor
Specialized field:
Comparative Management, Human Capital, and Business Theory
Research theme:
1. Analysis of the German Labor Market
2. Comparative Study of Diversity Management
3. Research
3. Research
Research Projects
(1) Japanese Economic Activities in British Malaya
Malaysia | Japan | External Research Grants Agencies |
|
---|---|---|---|
Japanese economic activities at Batu Pahat District, State of Johore under British Colonial administration: Collaboration and Competition Among Actors | Md.Nasrudin | Sugimoto | JFE21st Century Foundation |
Economic Activities of Japanese Capitalists and Migrants in British North Borneo: Focusing on Cooperation and Competition among Actors | Mohd. Ikbal | Sugimoto | TCER=TIFO Fellowship |
Consumer Behavior of Malaysian towards Japanese Luxury Goods in Pre-War British Malaya | Mohd. Shazwan | Sugimoto | The Sumitomo Foundation |
(2) Look East Policy
AY2025 Apr - Sep
Malaysia | Japan | External Research Grants Agencies |
|
---|---|---|---|
Rethinking Strategic Economic Cooperation with Japan in the Look East Policy 2.0 |
Mohd. Ikbal | Sugimoto | The Japan Foundation |
(3) SDG-related Research Projects on Malaysia
Members | Grants Agencies | |
---|---|---|
Economic Ripple Effects of the Creation of Creative and Cultural Industries in George Town, Penang Island: An Estimation of Input-Ouput Table and Its Empirical Investigations |
Sugimoto Ichiro, Khoo Suet Leng, Chan Lih Shing |
Soka University Priority Research Promotion Project Type B “SDGs Promotion Program |
Economic Development and the Gender Division of Labor: A Case Study of Malaysia | Utsumi Tomoko, Satogami Mihoko |
Soka University Priority Research Promotion Project Type B “SDGs Promotion Program |
(4) Economic History of Malaya
Members | Grants Agencies | |
---|---|---|
Formation and Accumulation for Wealth of Commercial migrants Chettiar in British Malaya using Estate Duty Fil | Sugimoto Ichiro, Md.Ikbal Md.Huda |
JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) |
Research Seminars








Publication
Policy Brief
No | Author(s) | Title | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mohd. Ikbal Mohd Huda | Kerjasama Ekonomic Malaysia-Jepun: Pelaburan dan Pasaran Strategik (Malaysia-Japan Economic Cooperation: Strategic Investment and Marketing) | |
2 | Suet Leng KHOO, Ichiro SUGIMOTO, Alex Lih Shing CHAN | Why A Satellite Account is required for Malaysia's Cultural and Creative Sectors? |
Laboratory





