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Mohd Kamal Hassan embodies integration of knowledge

By Dr Md. Mahmudul Hasan - November 12, 2020 @ 10:48am

My early interest in Kamal Hassan’s scholarly pursuits continued to grow without him knowing it. - NST pic.

EDUCATIONAL philosopher Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1931-) is Malaysia's gift to the world of knowledge and learning. Through the concept of Islamisation/dewesternization of knowledge that he articulates in his monumental book Islam and Secularism (1978), he participates in the debate on the problems of education and contributes to the discourse of addressing them.

Al-Attas emphasises the importance of producing a well-balanced personality through integration of knowledge. In this essay, I will discuss another contemporary Malaysian educational philosopher, Mohd. Kamal Hassan (1942-), who I believe embodies the concept of integration of knowledge.

In November 2008, I attended a session in Dhaka where the main speaker was Emeritus Professor Osman Bakar (1946-). I was then an Assistant Professor with the Department of English at the University of Dhaka. At one point in his discussion, in reference to the concept of integration of knowledge from Islamic perspectives, Osman Bakar talked about International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and mentioned Mohd. Kamal Hassan who was its Rector from 1998 to 2006. That was the first time I heard about the Profesor Ulung (National Distinguished Professor).

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