| Izah Azahari |
EDUCATION consultancy firm, Findlay (B) Sdn Bhd, held its 9th International Study Fair yesterday, at The Rizqun International Hotel from 2pm to 7pm, which saw representatives from 20 institutions in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom on hand to discuss study options with students for entry in 2019-2021.
Among those present at the event was the British Deputy High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Natalie Gowers Barnes.
According to the Managing Director of Findlay, Sunita Martin, the study fair is held twice a year with the purpose of introducing students to the possibility of studying overseas, even if they are still undergoing their ‘O’ Levels.
“Very often, we found students doing their ‘A’ Levels who have chosen the wrong subjects for the degree that they wish to do,” said Martin.
“If they knew at ‘O’ Levels what they should be taking for ‘A’ Levels, of course it would have made their lives easier so they can plan earlier. Once you have chosen your ‘A’ Levels, it can be quite hard to change the subjects, and if you’re doing something you don’t enjoy, you might not do well in it.”
She added that they are not expecting all the students visiting the study fair to be bound for university this year, or in the coming year, but at least they would start thinking about their career paths early.
“We recognise that it’s also not just about education, but also about employment later on,” added Martin.
“You need to be educated in order to then have a good career, so we have invited people from different professions to the fair to talk to students about their careers. We’re trying to support Vision 2035 by bringing in relevant industries that we want to develop in Brunei.”
Martin also said that the firm continues to make every effort to support young Bruneians in achieving their academic and career goals with their end-to-end ‘Solutions for Education, Employment and Excellence’.
The British institutions that participated in the one-day fair were Birmingham City University, De Montfort University, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, London South Bank University, Northumbria University, University of Portsmouth, Queen’s University Belfast, University College Birmingham, University of Southampton, University of South Wales, University of Surrey and University of Winchester.
Other universities were Curtin University in Malaysia, James Cook University in Singapore, Centennial College in Canada and University of Tasmania in Australia.
Pathway providers Oxford International Education Group, Navitas and INTO UK were also present to discuss study possibilities with students regarding foundation programmes and year one entry to prestigious universities in the UK.
Many of the universities offer good scholarships and tuition fee discounts, which will be of interest to students who are funding their own education.
Officials from the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council and the Scholarship Section of the Ministry of Education were also present for questions related to their respective areas, together with representatives from Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) and Centre for British Teachers (CfBT) Education Services (B) Sdn Bhd. Plus-Exp, an exciting portal to connect undergraduates and graduates with businesses through internship opportunities in Brunei was also present to showcase its services.
Leading professionals from the private sector were also available to help the students make informed career decisions at the fair. Among the industries represented were Halal foods, innovative technologies and creative industries, business services, and tourism.