Education fair draws students by the hundreds

Hundreds of students, school leavers and in-service personnel flocked to the Empire Hotel yesterday for the Study in UK Education Fair 2009.

The education fairs, which are held twice a year, have become a regular feature in the Brunei education calendar, and was held to help prospective students consider their options for further studies and to identify the appropriate courses and universities.

This year’s exhibition attracted 23 universities, including Aberdeen, Bradford, Cardiff, Glasgow, Kent, Liverpool, Newcastle, Northumbria and more.

“This is the third year that we are running an education exhibition at this time of the year,” said Dr Smita Wimmer of HRD Services Global Education Link. “The exhibition provides a perfect platform for evaluating course options, and more importantly, an opportunity to meet university staff personally to gain further insight into the course, new developments in their chosen field, as well as gather information on the university itself”.

“We want students to make an informed decision about their final course selection, rather than just ‘drift’ into a programme without having much of an understanding of what the programme entails,” she said.

“The students in Brunei have excellent career options upon graduating, but often they do not do enough background work to ensure that the course is right for them, and it is equally important to ensure good employment prospects upon graduating.”

“The education exhibition therefore provides the necessary material for students to evaluate prior to the release of their A’ level results” she added.

The exhibition, aimed at being a one-stop centre for a student’s overseas study needs, also included representatives from government funding bodies, Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Unit, the Career Guidance Unit, Visa Section of the British High Commission and Takaful IBB Berhad.

An International Officer at the University of York, Ms Nusrat Bashir, said, “The University of York currently has a small number of Bruneians studying a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, in areas that include computer science, engineering, economics and management.”

“York made its first visit to Brunei 12 months ago and was encouraged by the overwhelming interest from prospective students.

Bruneian students bring with them a strong interesting culture and hardworking ethic which contributes to the diverse national and international student community at York.”

“We usually visit Brunei twice a year, to attend the education exhibitions where we meet prospective students and offer advice on applying to the University,” she added.

The exhibition also featured a parallel session on career related talks aimed at providing an insight into specific courses and career options, as well as talks on application procedures and what universities are looking for in a successful undergraduate or PhD application.

“The University of Glasgow has been welcoming students from Brunei for many years and we visit Brunei several times a year,” said Ms Helen-Marie Clayton. “We have a strong alumni body and plan a number of alumni related activities in 2010.”

The Associate Dean, Student Recruitment, University of Bradford, Dr Nazira Karodia, was quoted as saying: “Studying in the UK gives the options and knowledge of the world out there. Brunei has three universities, and options are limited when it comes to what you can study.”

Zaki Razak who recently completed his studies at Bradford University and is a member of the Brunei Bradford Students’ Society said, “In terms of the learning experience and mix of different cultures as well as the extracurricular activities available there, studying in the UK is definitely good”.

“My time there was definitely worth-while. I made lots of new friends from around the world, learned time management skills and how to be self-resourceful. I just can’t explain in small words the experience that you can get there.”

Latest by Danial Norjidi:

number of view: 456