| Muhamad Aiman Syafiq Ramlee |
SIXTY-ONE student leaders congregated at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) recently for the 7th Annual Presidential Conference organised by the Brunei Students’ Union (BSU) in the United Kingdom and Eire.
With the theme ‘A Tetris Economy: Compatibility within Diversity’, the conference was attended by representatives of various Bruneian societies from the UK, Egypt and local institutions.
‘A Tetris Economy’ focused on the nation’s individuals who, with their talents and capabilities, are like unique Tetris pieces.
‘Compatibility within Diversity’ defines the focus in a bigger scope, putting forth the question on where graduates and/or the youths can conform to a growing economy in the strive towards economic prosperity.
The conference’s guest of honour was Dr Teo Siew Yean, the Assistant Vice-Chancellor of UBD for Global Affairs.
The event began with a recitation of Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 30 and a welcoming speech from President of the Brunei Students’ Union, Muhamad Hasif bin Nordin.
Muhamad Hasif explained, “The Tetris analogy provides a framework for economic prosperity, where diversity in skills and talents are symbolised by the structural variety of Tetris blocks and that essentially achieving success heavily depends on the hand of the player.
“It is our responsibility to well equip ourselves with the needed skills and talents, as we are the economic agents of this country.”
This was succeeded by a panel discussion from representatives of four organisations.
Taking the stage were Jonathan Ooi (Assistant Director at The Collective), Nurizzatul Izzah binti Haji Abdul Rahman (Executive Secretary of Persatuan KESAN), Louis Loo Ke Lee (Founder of Plus Magazine and YEAB) and Mohammad Ruzaini bin Mohammad Saiffulah (Representative from the Ministry of Education).
The panel was moderated by Awangku Muhd Hazwan bin Pengiran Haji Kamarulzaman from the Brunei Speakers’ Club.
The open-floor discussion tackled various themes.
One highlight from the panel was the importance of the creative industry and, while this sector is often neglected, it was emphasised that part of our daily lives are centred around the works of creative – and not just intellectual – minds.
In another discussion, it was stated that, while education and garnering transferable skills are important for employability, one can also create employment through entrepreneurship and that youths must explore various options and keep an open mindset.
The guest of honour presented certificates to the panellists and a token of appreciation was presented by Muhammad Hasif.
The conference concluded with Surah Al-Asr recitation and a group photo session.
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