By Emellia Tamoh
KUCHING, Aug 1: The Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for the establishment of the Tan Sri Empiang Jabu Research Chair in Dayak Women Studies.
The MoU was signed between UPM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Aini Ideris and SIDS chairwoman Datuk Alice Jawan Empaling.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg witnessed the signing.
“It is hoped that with the signing of the MoU, UPM would be able to play a role in empowering Dayak women and Sarawak women in general, through various academic and action-oriented activities.
“Among them would be the documenting of the history of SIDS, bench marking the state of development of Dayak women as a roadmap to moving forward and conduct courses and training to meet the needs of SIDS members,” Aini said in her welcoming speech before the MoU signing here today.
She expressed confident that the strategic collaboration with SIDS and the state government would further enhanced the education agenda in Sarawak for the benefit of the people in the state and more specifically, the Dayak women.
“This collaboration succeeds in helping UPM to explore and boost its community networking services,” she said.
The state government contributed some RM5 million to support the establishment of the Research Chair and its programmes. — DayakDaily
