| Izah Azahari |
HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Deputy Sultan, in his capacity as the Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), officially launched the UBD Convocation Festival 2016 also known as ‘Pesta Konvo UBD 2016’ yesterday at the UBD Library.
The convocation festival, which will be held for over two weeks until October 22, is an annual grand celebration of the convocation, with this year’s official opening displaying a showcase of innovative student projects and research at the Learning Commons in the UBD Library.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman; Deputy Minister of Education, Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar; Vice-Chancellor of UBD, Datin Dr Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Aziz; UBD council members, foreign dignitaries and prominent officials from government agencies.
The event began with the arrival of the Deputy Sultan who was greeted by the Minister of Education and the Vice-Chancellor of UBD, followed by the official launching ceremony and a tour around the exhibition.
This year’s convocation festival’s theme ‘Success through Harmony, Knowledge and Resilience’, is echoed in the exhibitions at the UBD Library where the event showcased leading-edge projects by current and graduating students that are expected to contribute towards Brunei’s economy and future developments while supporting Asean integration.
Student projects showcased at the festival demonstrated successful outcomes built from cooperative teamwork, in-depth knowledge of their individual subject matter and students’ persistence and determination to see their projects to maturity. The exhibitions are displayed with bamboo decorations for their symbolic significance to the thematic concepts, as bamboos are seen to grow in clusters symbolising harmony.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Deputy Sultan during a tour of the exhibitions during the Universiti Brunei Darussalam Convocation Festival 2016.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Deputy Sultan during a tour of the exhibitions at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam Convocation Festival 2016.
His Royal Highness in a group photo with some members of the UBD Student Representative Council. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
Based on the Malay proverb ‘melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya’ which translates ‘to bend a bamboo while it’s still a shoot (young)’, signifies UBD’s belief in nurturing knowledge and good qualities in individuals while they are growing, and as the bamboo is one of the most versatile and flexible materials, they are known to bend but not break, which represents the tenacity and resilience of students demonstrated by their work on their respective projects.
Organised by the Student Affairs Section with the assistance of the newly established Office of Promotion and Events Management (OPEM), the convocation festival hosts a variety of exhibitions to celebrate the success of its current and graduating students.
Some of the highlights of the exhibition are robotic gulingtangan (traditional musical instrument) by the Faculty of Integrated Technologies (FIT); the demonstration of bioelectricity generation from water plants by the Faculty of Science (FOS); the mapping of Creative Industries in Brunei by Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), and the pyrolysis of Acacia species to produce biofuels and other bio products by Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER).
Prior to the departure of His Royal Highness, a pesambah was presented by the Student Representative Council, Student Association of UBD, in the form of a wireless remote controlled car.
Among other things, the Khatam Al-Quran and thanksgiving prayer will also be held on October 10 to bless the graduating students in their future endeavours. There will also be a ‘Convo Run and Cycle’ on October 23, an Islamic Video Clip Competition for UBD students, local performances and other cultural events.
The festival is held yearly in the run-up to the convocation ceremony to celebrate UBD graduates’ success and achievements while showcasing innovative research and projects by its current and graduating students.
Each year, the convocation festival brings different themes and exhibitions of students’ works to reflect their respective themes.
The 28th Convocation Ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 15 at the Chancellor Hall, in which graduates will receive their scrolls.
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