On May 13, 2022, International University of Sarajevo had an honor to host His Royal Highness Tunku Zain 'Al-Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, the second son of the ruler of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, and the founding president of Malaysia’s first libertarian think tank, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). A graduate of London School of Economics and Political Science, where he obtained a degree in Government and Sociology, and a Master’s in Comparative Politics and Imperial History, Tunku Zain has previous experience at London-based think tanks. He worked as a parliament researcher at the House of Commons before moving to Washington, DC to serve at the World Bank as a public-sector consultant, followed by work as a research fellow at the National University of Singapore.
After a meeting with the IUS Rector Professor Dr. Ahmet Yıldırım, His Royal Highness held a lecture titled "Civil Society in a Muslim Democracy: Perspective from Malaysia" to IUS students and staff.
In the lecture, His Royal Highness stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Malaysia have excellent relations and many things in common. BiH just like Malaysia is experiencing political turmoil and is facing incredible difficulties in maintaining geopolitical stability. As a founder of a first Malaysian libertarian think tank which has contributed towards policy making in Malaysia by promoting solutions to public-policy challenges, Tunku Zain expressed importance of a civil society in strengthening democracy and peacebuilding. According to His Royal Highness, educating young people is the key for a brighter future.
International University of Sarajevo expresses its sincere gratitude to His Royal Highness Tunku Zain 'Al-Abidin Tuanku Muhriz for visiting our University and for holding a very interesting, informative and interactive lecture.
