Lyna Mohamad
The Ministry of Education’s (MoE) annual Higher Education Expo has gone online this year, as an alternative to mass gatherings, in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) guidelines.
Deputy Minister of Education Datin Seri Paduka Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh launched the virtual Higher Education Expo 2021 at the MoE’s Main Hall yesterday.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the MoE Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the MoE Dr Chin Wei Keh, the Acting Director General of Education as well as heads of departments and officers at the MoE also attended.
Organised by the MoE through its Higher Education Division, the expo gathers post-secondary, government and private higher education institutions, as well as local education agencies on a single platform to provide an overview of post-secondary and higher educational landscape.
Students wishing to further their studies can interact directly in real-time with participating institutions and educational agencies through live chat and video conferencing.
The participating institutions are 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, the participating 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 and HAD Tech College.
At the virtual expo, the institutions will introduce programmes, terms of admission and registration procedures.
The MoE will share the latest information on the Higher Education Centralised Admission System (HECAS), government scholarships, application for the accreditation of courses/qualifications and careers during the expo, as represented by the Higher Education Division, the Scholarship Section, the Secretariat of Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council, the Educators Management Department, the Private Education Section, the Lifelong Learning Centre and the Career Development Unit of the Department of Schools.
The participating government agencies include the Islamic Studies Department (JPI) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), the Youth Development Centre at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), and the Educational Loan Assistance Scheme (SBPP) Unit and the Student Allowance Unit under the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE).
Among the participating private agencies is Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd, alongside educational service agencies such as Findlay (B) Sdn Bhd, Paradigm Scholar Agency, HRDS Education Services and MEG Educational Services.
Several activities will be conducted throughout the event, such as a webinar. The sessions will feature the registration process for HECAS, scholarship opportunities, new programmes offered by higher education institutions 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 the 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 doctorate, as well as those looking to upskill or reskill.
Marking the sixth edition, the Higher Education Expo will be held virtually from 9am to 5pm until February 21.