Azlan Othman
Dozens of student recipients beamed with pride and a deep sense of achievement during a scholarship award ceremony at Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex, organised by the Department of Scholarship Management at the Ministry of Education (MoE) yesterday.
The high achievers were awarded the Government of His Majesty’s Overseas Scholarship to pursue studies abroad, as well as the Special Scholarship Scheme to pursue secondary and pre-university education at Jerudong International School (JIS) and International School Brunei (ISB), under the MoE for the academic session 2022/2023.
Minister of Education Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh was the guest of honour.
Forty-eight students have been awarded His Majesty’s Government Scholarship Overseas to pursue a first degree abroad, while 32 are awarded under the Medicine and Dentistry Universiti Brunei Darussalam Scholarship Scheme with Partner Medical and Dental School overseas.
Under the Special Scholarship Scheme, 21 have been awarded for the secondary level studies and 18 students awarded at pre-university level.
Permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, directors, senior officers and officers of the MoE attended the event alongside parents and international school representatives.
Earlier, at the same venue, the Department of Scholarship Management held an agreement signing for His Majesty’s Government Scholarship Overseas for First Degree as well as the Medicine and Dentistry Scholarship Scheme with Partner Medical and Dental School for the academic session 2022/2023.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the MoE cum guest of honour Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad witnessed the signing, with Senior Special Duties Officer at the Department of Scholarship Management Julaihi bin Mohamad/Mohamat signing on behalf of the Brunei Government.
Julaihi said that 48 students have been awarded His Majesty’s Government Scholarship Overseas to pursue first degree abroad, with 24 to study in the United Kingdom (UK), 14 in Australia, seven in Ireland, and a student each in Malaysia, Singapore and the United States (US).
Meanwhile, 32 students have been awarded under the Medicine and Dentistry Universiti Brunei Darussalam Scholarship Scheme with Partner Medical and Dental School overseas, with 25 pursuing medicine, and seven dentistry.
Twenty-two will study in the UK, nine in Ireland and one in Australia.
Under the Special Scholarship Scheme, 21 students have been awarded at the secondary level (Years 7 11) and 18 awarded for pre-university level studies. Of that, 21 will be studying at JIS and 18 at ISB.
Julaihi explained that the scholarship scheme to study overseas for a first degree employs a rigorous and fair selection process, namely, multiple mini interview (MMI) introduced since 2013, and scholarship leadership assessment (SLA) carried out with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence through the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, introduced in 2020.
“The selection process ensures the selected students are the ‘crème de la crème’ and possess criteria that include mental strength, leadership and teamwork spirit,” he added.
