Azlan Othman
The Higher Education Virtual Expo 2022 aims to create a ‘Real Life Time’ experience by providing the public with an opportunity to interact with expo participants over live chat and video conferences, according to the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Minister of Education Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman officiated the expo’s opening ceremony at the main hall of the MoE yesterday.
Deputy Minister of Education Datin Seri Paduka Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh; Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the MoE Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad; Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the MoE Dr Shamsiah Zuraini Kanchanawati binti Haji Tajuddin; Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the MoE Dr Chin Wei Keh; and Deputy Permanent Secretary (Core Education) at the MoE Aliuddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman; as well as Acting Director General of Education, heads of departments and officers from the MoE also attended.
This year’s expo, which will be held until February 11 from 9am to 5pm, is the seventh higher education expo organised by the MoE through the Higher Education Department, with the primary focus on being a ‘one-stop information centre’ for higher education.
The event gathers post-secondary educational institutions, public and private higher education institutions, and local education agencies as well as provides an overview on the landscape of post-secondary education and higher education.
It is hoped that the expo will showcase opportunities and pathways to higher education by serving as a platform for students to interact directly with participating educational institutions and agencies.
The expo participants comprise 15 public and private higher education institutions locally and abroad, and 16 other public and private agencies.
Public higher education institutions include Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), Politeknik Brunei (PB) and Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE).
Meanwhile, private higher education institutions are Laksamana College of Business (LCB), Kolej International Graduate Studies (KIGS), Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology (CCCT), Micronet International College (MIC), Kemuda Institute, BICPA – FTMS Accountancy Academy, Mahakarya Institute of the Arts Asia, HAD Tech College, Hotel and Tourism Management Institution, Switzerland and Beyond Tomorrow College.
The event sees the institutions introduce their programmes, admission terms, registration procedures and other information to students looking to further their studies.
The MoE will also be sharing the latest information on Higher Education Centralised Admission System (HECAS), government scholarships, application for the accreditation of courses or qualifications and careers, among others.
The MoE is represented by the Higher Education Department; Department of Scholarship Management; Secretariat of Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council; Department of Educators Management; Lifelong Learning Centre; and the Career Development Unit from the Department of Schools.
The expo is also joined by governmental agencies such as the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC) Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Islamic Studies Department, Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), United States Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, Japan Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) and Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB). Educational services agencies, such as Findlay (B) Sdn Bhd, HRDS Education Services and Regalia Marketing and Services, are also participating.
Featured activities include webinars conducted by local educational institutions and associations via Zoom, application procedures for HECAS, scholarship opportunities, new programmes and graduate success stories.
The expo is open to the public, especially secondary and pre-university school leavers with Brunei GCE ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ Level or equivalent, planning to pursue higher education such as National Technical Education Certificate (NTec), Higher National Technical Education Certificate (HNTec), Diploma, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and doctoral degree as well as those wishing to upskill or reskill.
The event is held online in compliance with Ministry of Health guidelines by avoiding large-scale gatherings to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.
