英国文化教育协会在马来亚的活动研究 (1948-1963) A Historical Examination of the British Council's Activities in Malaya (1948-1963)

Abstract

英国文化教育协会作为英国从事文化输出和公共外交的重要机构，对战后英国殖民地的非殖民化进程产生重要影响。马来亚是英国在东南亚最早设立文化教育协会的殖民地之一，深入探讨马来亚英国文化教育协会的成立和发展过程，有益千揭示战后英国对东南亚殖民政策的基本特征。1948年马来亚英国文化教育协会以民间形式出现，实际却由官方控制。成立初期曲折艰难， 1952年以后实现平稳过渡，取得良好效果。1957年又受到马来亚独立影响，直至1963年马来西亚成立，协会对马来亚、新加坡和婆罗洲的代表处进行了重组。可以说，英国文化教育协会的成长发展深受马来亚独立和局势变化的影响，却始终服务千英国对东南亚的非殖民化政策，彰显了英国用柔性手段实现殖民地政治调解的特征。

As an important institution of British cultural exportation and public diplomacy, the British Council had played an important role in the decolonization process of the British colonies after the Second World War. Malaya's office was the first representation of British Council in Southeast Asia. An in-depth discussion of the establishment and development of the British Council in Malaya reveals fundamental features of the British decolonization policies. British Council appeared as a private organization but it was actually
under government control. During the inception phase, British Council in Malaya experienced some hardships. After 1952, it made a smooth transition and achieved good results. In 1957, it was affected by Malaya's independence. It was not until the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the British Council restructured its representative offices in Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah. It could be said that the development of British Council was deeply affected by these two political events. However, it always served the British decolonization policies towards Southeast Asia. This demonstrates the British's use of flexible strategy to achieve political mediation in the colony.