There has been a rise in the number of Bruneian students choosing the United States (US) to pursue their studies.
Last year, Bruneians accounted for the highest percentage increase in students from the ASEAN region with 13.5 per cent.
“Bruneians are showing more and more interest in US education opportunities, whether it is a full-time study or short-term exchange,” said Acting Public Affairs Officer at the Embassy of the United States of America in Brunei Darussalam Peter McSharry at a pre-departure briefing for US-bound students yesterday.
McSharry noted Fulbright scholarship programmes and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) short-term exchange programme were most popular among Bruneian students.
The embassy, through its Education USA advising service, held the pre-departure orientation for US-bound students at the Padian Room of The Brunei Hotel which saw the attendance of scholarship recipients and self-funded students preparing to travel to the US, and their parents.
McSharry congratulated the students on their admission to several US universities to pursue studies in a diverse range of disciplines.
The US Department of State, through the US Embassy in the Sultanate, this year introduced the English Access Microscholarship Programme with local educators Diana Shim and Fatmah Sulaiman being the first Bruneians to participate in the programme.
Attendees also listened to a briefing by the embassy’s visa division on the visa application process and practical training opportunities in the US for international students.
The students also interacted with current and returning students to learn more about their living and education experiences in the US, including health, safety, and security on campus.
Visiting American YSEALI Fellow LeeAnn Naillon, who is in the country to conduct workshops on disability awareness, also attended. – Lyna Mohamad
