KUCHING: Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to set up the Tan Sri Empiang Jabu Research Chair in Dayak Women Studies.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg witnessed the signing ceremony between UPM’s vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Aini Ideris and SIDS’s chairperson Datuk Alice Jawan Empaling yesterday.
“SIDS in the last 62 years has been the largest Dayak women’s association, the catalyst that unites Dayak women, promotes education and culture which are two key objectives of SIDS.
“This Tan Sri Empiang Research Chair in Dayak Women Studies will assist us with researches in various fields for example leadership and economic; and also researches in the development of our Dayak textile, the Pua Kumbu,” she said this prior to the signing of the MoU at a leading hotel here.
She added that the Chair was to honour Tan Sri Empiang Jabu who was the ninth chairperson of SIDS and helmed the position for 33 years until the last triennial general assembly (TGA) on July 2018.
She added that (Empiang) relinquished her post to give way to younger women leaders to lead and bring the organisation to another level in tandem with current changes and development in the country.
“The Chair will carry out various trainings for our members and Dayak women to enhance leadership, administration, and management skills.
“As such, the Chair will be producing SIDS scholars in Dayak Women Studies from UPM. SIDS through this Chair and UPM are currently in various stages of discussions for collaboration works with other organisations such as Sarawak Dayak Graduate Association (SDGA) and Unimas on specific programmes on development of our Dayak women.
“We will continue to identify and discuss with other women NGOs and organisations to synergize for the progress of our women and community,” she said.
The Sarawak Government contributed a fund of RM5 million to support the establishment of the Chair and its activities.
Tan Sri Empiang Jabu Research Chair aims to empower Dayak women and Sarawak women in general through various academic and action-oriented activities.
UPM is confident that through this strategic collaboration with SIDS and the state government, the education agenda in Sarawak would be further enhanced for the benefit of the people in Sarawak and more specifically the Dayak women.
The UPM, SIDS and state government collaboration is consistent with UPM’s renewed commitment to Sarawak, it said in a statement.
UPM Bintulu Campus that now has one faculty, namely Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology has secured the approval to add a new faculty namely Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities that will be fully operational soon.
