Center for Malaysian Studies
1. About CMS (Center of Malaysian Studies)
1. About CMS (Center of Malaysian Studies)
Representative’s Message
The founder of Soka University, Daisaku Ikeda, deeply recognized the rich diversity of Malaysian society as a source of boundless potential, envisioning in it a future of remarkable promise and prosperity. Guided by this conviction, he actively engaged in dialogue with many distinguished Malaysian leaders and intellectuals, including His Royal Highness the late Sultan Azlan Shah, His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Shah, the current Chancellor of University of Malaya, former Vice Chancellors of the University of Malaya such as Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz and Dr. Syed Hussein Alatas, as well as former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Building upon this profound legacy of intellectual exchange and mutual respect, Soka University has long advanced academic collaboration with Malaysian universities, often ahead of other Japanese institutions. Over the years, these efforts have developed into multifaceted educational and research partnerships, including student and faculty exchange programs, the Pacific Basin Symposiums, and large-scale collaborative research projects led by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Malaysian international students have also played an important role in enriching the academic and cultural life of Soka University and have contributed significantly to its development.
Inheriting this precious tradition, we remain committed to further strengthening our ties with Malaysia through research, education, and people-to-people exchange, and to developing these long-standing initiatives into an even deeper and more meaningful partnership for the future.
Prof. Ichiro Sugimoto
Representative,
Center for Malaysian Studies
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
