Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, who visited Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali’s (UNISSA) Gadong Campus yesterday, donated 19 books related to royal customs, sultanates, coronation ceremonies and ‘Istana Negara’ to the UNISSA Library. Accompanying Her Majesty was Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah.
The collection will be part of the Malaysia Book Corner and be valuable resources for UNISSA’s academic staff, students and the public. The visit was part of the three-day state visit of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah to Brunei Darussalam. Upon arrival at UNISSA, Her Majesty was welcomed by Minister of Education Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh and Rector of UNISSA Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal.
In his welcoming address, the rector highlighted the strong relationship between UNISSA and Malaysian higher education institutions. He noted that since its establishment, UNISSA has benefited from the presence of Malaysian scholars, which has contributed to its growth.
Currently, 24 per cent of UNISSA’s international academic staff are Malaysian.
UNISSA is actively engaged in collaborative research with Malaysian universities, with 33 joint research projects underway.
The university also offers various exchange programmes with Malaysian institutions, including the International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Management Science University.
During the visit, Her Majesty toured the Al-Imtiaz Gallery, which showcases UNISSA’s journey of excellence. She also visited an exhibition highlighting collaborative relationships with Malaysian higher education institutions.
One of the highlights of the exhibition was the Digital Mushaf Studio Research Project, which focuses on producing handwritten Al-Quran manuscripts.
The project combines traditional calligraphy with modern research techniques.
Before departing, Her Majesty received a pesambah from UNISSA and Her Majesty presented a souvenir to the university.
Her Majesty also interacted with academic staff and Malaysian students. – Rokiah Mahmud
