Lyna Mohamad
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) called for UTB to further improve its research programmes in key areas such as food science and technology, nanotechnology, downstream industrial technology, material science and artificial intelligence, which will contribute to an increase in publications, patents and commercial activities, thus spurring the Sultanate’s economic growth.
The monarch in a titah during the 9th UTB Convocation Ceremony yesterday, applauded UTB’s measures and initiatives as they are in line with the country’s aspirations towards becoming a Smart Nation driven by a digital technology landscape across the government, economy and community.
His Majesty believed that the graduates’ success in completing their studies will act as a catalyst to future excellence, while giving a nod to UTB’s achievement in earning 5-plus in the QS Star Rating, which is a testament of its efforts in elevating the institution’s status to global recognition.
The monarch also underlined the university’s rankings in a number of coveted annual publications – 344th in the QS World University Ranking, 126th in the QS Asia University Ranking and 40th in Asia for Universities under 50 Years Old, and applauded its petroleum engineering programme for being in the top 150 of the QS Subject Ranking Report, and its civil and structural engineering programme being rated five stars.
His Majesty applauded UTB for answering to the monarch’s call in 2019 for the university to update its programme list to include courses relevant to current needs and expressed hope that these courses will aid the country in advancing its aspirations.
The monarch also welcomed collaborations between the university and industry players, such as working with Brunei Shell Petroleum and Shell Deepwater Borneo to set up the Artificial Intelligence Lab at UTB; Huawei ICT Academy Laboratory through value-added certification in information communications technology (ICT) for the global job market; setting up a 5G laboratory with the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI); and an articulation programme with Micronet International College in computer science to enhance the quality of graduates in the fields of multimedia and network security.
His Majesty concluded by calling on the graduates to contribute to the local workforce by adopting a “growth mindset” and be ready to face challenges and take advantage of opportunities that arise from the rapid development in technology and global changes.
