The Language Academy (LA) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), hosted a Virtual Language and Communication Postgraduate International Seminar (VLCPIS) 2020 on 21 September 2020 . The seminar was organised by a team of postgraduate students from LA headed by Ms. Nurhidayah Mohd Sharif and closely guided by the LA advisors, Dr. Farhana Abu Bakar and Dr. Nur ‘Ain Balqis Haladin.
The VLCPIS 2020 was a continuation of the first and second LCPIS conducted in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and this time it was different since it was completely conducted virtually through the Webex platform. The aim was to foster continuous learning and to connect bright minds through sharing, learning and discussion of a wide range of subjects.
Since COVID-19 has turned everyone’s life on its head, this virtual platform has allowed everyone to stay connected while remaining in the safety of their homes. The seminar was an effort of LA to expand opportunities for learning during these unprecedented times.
The opening speech was delivered by the Chair of Language Academy, Associate Professor Dr. Hanita Hassan. There were also four keynote speakers invited to share real-world insights on some important issues concerning language and communication with the seminar participants.
They were Dr. Zaidah Zainal from UTM; Dr. Muhammad Arfin Muhammad Salim from Tourism Polytechnic of Makassar, Indonesia; Dr. Hanita Hassan from UTM; and Dr. Majid Fatahipour from the Islamic Azad University, Iran. The seminar was concluded with a speech from the head advisor of the organising committee, Dr. Farhana Abu Bakar.
A total of 47 presenters from six different countries (Iran, Syria, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and China) took part in the seminar. Their presentations were evaluated by a panel of experienced judges and awards will be given to the three best presenters. All accepted papers will be reviewed and published in the VLCPIS E-Proceedings this coming October.
Prepared by: SANA TOUAHMIA
Secretary
VLCPIS 2020