ULRICH Kozok is a professor of linguistics at Hawaii University. Born in Hildesheim, Niedersachsen, Germany, he not only speaks Batak fluently but also reads Batak script. Kozok earned his master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees in Batak language and literature from Hamburg University.

Four years ago Kozok, who was not only interested in Batak language and literature, traveled to Tanjung Tanah, a village at the side of a lake in Kerinci