GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is the only university in the world to have the sole right to study the digital collection of letters written by Francis Light, said USM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Asma Ismail.
She said the historic collection kept at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, will change the landscape of Penang’s history and even the world, when a project known as ‘The Beacon of Light @ USM’ is launched.
“This is a digitalised collection of 1,200 letters, bounded in 11 volumes from 1771 until 1794, about 23 years, all written in jawi,” Dr Asma told reporters during the 2017 USM Sanjung Sanggar Award Ceremony here on Monday.
Also present was the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, who is USM chancellor.
Dr Asma said the contents of the letters included correspondence activities and notes recorded by the Malay leaders, dignitaries, wives of dignitaries and business associates at that time.
“Through the collection, there are several letters to be studied in great detail and to be explored by USM experts in the field,” she said.
She said through the School of Policy Research and International Studies, the sole right to study the documents was obtained after eight years of consultation with the University of London.
She said the documents were not only stored in various forms by the USM Library as reference for researchers and historians, but would also get injections of artificial intelligence technology. – Bernama
