Najib to speak at Oxford University on Monday

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will deliver a lecture at the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford University on Monday.

The lecture, titled "Coalition of Moderates and Inter-Civilisational Understanding," is part of Najib's itinerary during his two-day working visit here.

Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Datuk Zakaria Sulong said the lecture would, among others, deliberate on the issues of extremism, tolerance and Islamophobia.

He said this during a briefing for Malaysian journalists Saturday night ahead of Najib's arrival in London at 7pm (local time) Sunday.

The Malaysian envoy said about 700 people, including academicians and captains of industry, would attend the lecture.

Besides the lecture, Zakaria said the prime minister, whose visit is at the invitation of the Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies (OXCIS), was scheduled to visit the centre.

An associated institution of Oxford University, the centre aims to encourage scholarly studies of Islam and the Islamic world.

Malaysia is one the contributors, along with a few other Islamic countries, to the development of the new OXCIS building in Marston Road, an initiative that symbolises tolerance between the Islamic world and the West.

Zakaria said Najib was scheduled to visit the Malaysia auditorium, which can accommodate approximately 200 people, and is a symbol of bilateral cooperation between the Malaysian government and OXCIS.

The high commissioner further said that the Malaysian leader was slated to have tea and a dialogue with about 180 Malaysian students at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford.

His programme also includes attending a reception and dinner in his honour at Exeter College, Oxford University.

-- BERNAMA