| Izah Azahari |
IT IS essential to maintain high-quality teaching-learning for students to ensure that they are well-equipped with skills the economy will need in a rapidly changing world, said Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli.
“This can be done through universities supporting innovative interdisciplinary research to address grand challenges and national, as well as global priorities,” he said.
He made these comments speaking on ‘The Role of Universities in Preparing the Economy for the 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)’ at the President’s Lecture 2019 organised by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).
“Furthermore, effective knowledge exchange is crucial for universities to work together with business and industry in a mutually beneficial way, in a triple helix model of collaboration with the government,” he said.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad attended alongside UBD Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Global Affairs) Dr Teo Siew Yean, UBD Assistant Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Pengiran Dr Mohammad Iskandar bin Pengiran Haji Petra, Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) Acting Vice-Chancellor Haji Ady Syarmin bin Haji Md Taib and senior officers from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and UBD.
Professor Sir Muscatelli, who has served as the University of Glasgow’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal since October 1, 2009, is an economist by academic discipline.
The University of Glasgow’s School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing is a partner medical school for UBD’s Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS) in both its Bachelor of Health Sciences 3+3 Medicine Programme and the Bachelor of Health Sciences in Dentistry.
Under the 3+3 Bachelor of Health Sciences in Medicine programme, UBD has collaborated with the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing at the University of Glasgow for six cohorts of students since 2008.
The President’s Lecture is a series of lectures serving as a platform for prominent vice-chancellors to present their analysis and insights on timely, relevant and important wide-ranging topics on higher education, bringing together an audience of higher education practitioners and policymakers, as well as academics and students from various fields of disciplines.