| Daniel Lim |
TO FOSTER cross-cultural understanding over 80 delegates of the fifth Strategic Educational Alliance of Southeast Asia (SEA2) Conference visited the Belait District on Wednesday to learn more about its culture and history.
The visit was part of the delegates’ fifth SEA2 Conference itinerary.
The group of 83 included administrators, teachers and students from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.
The SEA2 Conference, themed ‘ASEAN Speaks: Origin of Language’ this year, aimed to gather some of the brightest students from several schools in Southeast Asian countries. The annual conference allows students to learn more about the culture and history of the host country as well as the system of education implemented and products available in the country.
This is the first time Brunei Darussalam hosted the conference.
The delegates’ Belait visit was part of a five-day trek of the Sultanate from August 13 – 17, which included stops at the Brunei-Muara and Tutong districts.
During their time in Belait, the group visited the Belait District Museum to learn more about the rich traditional culture and history of the district. They also dropped by the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre, where they viewed a science show and participated in tech challenges.
The delegates had visited Thailand for last year’s SEA2 Conference. The next will be hosted by the Philippines in 2019.
Noorizatul Zarana binti Abdullah, one of the delegates who participated in last year’s conference and liaison officer for this year’s SEA2 Conference in Brunei, said she was thankful to showcase the rich culture and history of her country to the visitors.
“Among the activities held for the delegates include the introduction to traditional food,” said Noorizatul Zarana, who is also an upper sixth form student at Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College.
She added that the conference also provided the opportunity to introduce to the delegates the schools and the education system in the country.
“We hope the delegates will take away this valuable knowledge of our culture, history and educational system. In next year’s SEA2 Conference, we hope to continue showcasing our Bruneian hospitality, friendliness, culture and history,” she said.
Khristina Marie P Ricarder, a delegate from Assumption College, Metro Manila, the Philippines said it was her first time in Brunei and felt elated to be immersed in its beauty, rich culture and history.
“During the SEA2 Conference, I learnt more about the values and customs of Brunei. I felt that it was an enriching experience and I grew more as a person because of it,” she said.