On Friday, Malaysia’s ambassador, Dato Sheikh Abdul Khalid Ghazzali, visited the RPI campus. The event marked a special occasion for the 74 Malaysian students on campus who organized a series of performances and activities.
“From what I have seen, RPI is a very good institution with a well-deserved reputation in engineering and technology,” said Ghazzali.
The Malaysian Student Association hosted a dinner at the Alumni House where RPI administrators and the ambassador’s delegation enjoyed a two-hour program on Malaysian heritage.
The program included native Malaysian dances, and a play on the country’s history. “It is a great opportunity to show our culture and heritage in a creative way,” said Nadimah Mohamad EE’05.
“The ambassador was clearly impressed and inspired by the performances, the students’ wide-ranging talents, and their tremendous sense of national pride,” said Debra Geer, director of international advancement.
Malaysian students from Cornell were also present during the event and participated in the performances.
During his speech, the ambassador thanked students for their efforts and the amount of work that they put in considering that they were notified only three weeks ago. He also pointed out that “education is one of the strongest bonds that link Malaysia and America.”
Present at the event were David Haviland, vice president for institute advancement, who represented President Jackson; Vice President Eddie Knowles; Dean of Admissions Theresa Duffy; and Vice Provost Gary Gabrielle; among others.
“Programs such as the one held Friday night are critical to enhancing Rensselaer’s global reach and global impact, a key goal of The Rensselaer Plan,” said Geer.
The Malaysian student population is the fourth largest international student group and, “one of the most active on campus,” said Knowles.
The visit was the ambassador’s first visit to a college campus and the first time that a Malaysian ambassador visited RPI.
