English (UK) 
In a historic move for the Malaysian Applied Linguistics community, Professor Dr. Shameem Rafik-Galea, President of the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics (MAAL) and a distinguished Professor at the Faculty of Education, Languages, Psychology, and Music (FoELPM) at SEGi University, spearheaded a delegation to the 20th AILA World Congress in Lyon in July 2023. Their mission was to officially assume the responsibility of hosting the 21st AILA World Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The six-member delegation, consisting of eminent individuals from the University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and the PCO-MP Events, collaborated with Professor Rafik-Galea to ensure a seamless transition of hosting duties from the 20th AILA World Congress team to the Malaysian team. The 21st AILA World Congress, scheduled for August 11th to 16th, 2024, at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, will mark 60 years of AILA. As part of the delegation’s commitment to cultural exchange, they organized a Malaysian Evening during the Lyons event, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity of the country, made possible with the support of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
