| Hakim Hayat |
THE diversity of higher education institutions in the United States and flexibility they offer in courses allow for greater specialisation in a variety of academic disciplines and also practical training all at once, making graduates more employable in a relatively small economy and population, US Embassy’s EducationUSA Advisor Mayra Robles said yesterday.
Although it is not a common practice for Bruneian students to explore different courses at once, she said people here are now starting to understand the benefits of being more employable through the acquisition of multi-disciplined skills.
“You will have more to offer on the table because say if you have two courses, you sort of have a fall-back and that all-round education is beneficial for a small country that has smaller population where there is a need for us to multi-task and have broader view and knowledge of information, tasks and objectives ahead,” she said during a press conference to announce the fourth edition of the upcoming US Higher Education Fair 2017.
Robles said international students to the US have the opportunity to spend an additional year or up to 24 months of optional practical training on top of their four-year bachelor’s degree, allowing them to get valuable and relevant work experience.
Meanwhile, Bruneian students thinking of pursuing their higher education overseas are urged to visit the upcoming education fair on February 8 at the Songket Hall of The Rizqun International Hotel to find out more on the diverse and flexible courses, scholarship and funding options they can avail from different higher education institutions in the US.
Catherine Muller (L) and Mayra Robles (R) holding up an EducationUSA logo during a press conference to announce the 4th US Higher Education Fair 2017 to be held from February 8. – HAKIM HAYAT
The following day, the fair will move to Sayyidina Ali Secondary School in the Belait District to meet prospective students there.
Catherine Muller, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, shared that with over 5,000 colleges and universities that grant degrees in the US today, the fair offers prospective students and their parents more information about the opportunities, adding that 14 universities and colleges will be participating in the fair from across the US offering different types of degrees and study fields. “We welcome all students, parents, teachers and school counsellors who are interested and direct representatives from these institutions will be there to provide more information.”
Muller said they are excited this year to offer a wider range of large and small universities that focuses on one technical area such as aviation, and also those who offer more such as the liberal arts and also traditional degrees that one would expect from a major university.
She said the fair will also allow the representatives to learn more about Brunei and the needs, general trends and study interest of its students and said they also welcome anyone who to attend the one-day fair including scholarship granting bodies and those who have contact with students.
Robles further shared that the theme for this year’s fair is inclusion and access to every student and increasing diversity on campuses.
“Because in the US every university is able to accommodate student with special needs and disability… we are very proud of that and this year, we have a very diverse range of universities in the fair offering courses in arts, business fashion and design and we have our top universities included in the list and we are also welcoming universities from Hawaii and Nebraska for the first time here in Brunei this year,” she shared.
She also revealed more of the more popular courses among Bruneian students in the US including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) streams but said they have also seen greater interest towards arts courses, especially in audio and video and visual creative arts, and shared that some students would even combine a STEM course, which they can double with an arts course that they want to pursue as a profession, or something they are passionate about. “This flexibility allows you to pursue areas of not just one focus but two and even more and up to four courses,” she further said.
Participating institutions in the fair will include the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Central Washington University, Miami University, Wabash College, University of Massachusetts, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Savannah College of Art and Design, Western Michigan University, University of Northern Iowa, Temple University, American University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Creighton University and LIM College (Fashion and Business School).
More information on the Education Fair and EducationUSA can be accessed through www.brunei.usembassy.gov/studyusa.html or the US Embassy’s social media channels.
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