Seventh issue . July - September 2012 - Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Seventh issue . July - September 2012His Majesty Sultan Haji HassanalBolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah,the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan ofBrunei Darussalam graces UBD’s24th Convocation Ceremony

2DiscoverCONTENT2 Welcoming MessageDiscover Feature3 UBD’s 24th Convocation Ceremony4 Pesta Konvo opened by HRH Crown Prince5 Brunei-US ELEP Inaugural LaunchDiscover News6 Awards presented at Convocation CeremonySilicon Valley venture capitalists lecture7 University Scholars Leadership Symposium in BaliSingapore President presents OutstandingInternational Volunteer Award8 e-Government Executive TrainingClosing Ceremony DinnerUBD hosts web designing course for librarians9 Princeton Professor gives talk on oil palm loggingand agriculture impacts and economicsClimate Scientist Dr Vicky Pope gives lecture10 UBD hosts lecture series by Dr. Zakir NaikeG.InC shortlisted at FutureGov Awards11 First Coffee@eG.InC session12 UBD accredits RIPAS and SSBe-Government Survey Workshop13 UBD PhD candidate promotes sustainableconsumption in EstoniaPublic Profile: Professor Victor Terrence King14 UBD congregates with UNC and USFQ in theGalapagos ArchipelagoILIA’s SLP graduates two more cohorts15 7th HELP workshopUBD geology students celebrate Hari Raya16 IHS UBD students lend helping handJohann Wolfgang Goethe-University MoU17 HSBC YDC Young Entrepreneur ChallengeUBD Library holds Khatam Al-Qur’anand Tahlil ceremony20 New Thinking Paradigm for 11th EDPMMO21 UBD’s Global Health Classroom launched6th International Summer MedicalSchool Programme22 FBEPS attends Babson GCEE meetingOrientation For New SHBIE Graduate Students23 UBD Students receive BICTA awardUBD students community study in SurabayaUBD’s MEd CPA educational visit to Kg Ayer24 Advanced computer modelling discussionUBD becomes a member Asia-Pacific Bureau25 UBD signs MoU with Zhejiang UniversityUBD welcomes 6th UniBridge intake26 IHS Students Overseas Graduate28 Interview with Vice-Chancellor Medal RecipientDiscover Research29 iCUBE Bukit Pagon Expedition studies30 Art Exhibition at JIS Arts Centre andUBD Student Centre31 Creative Industries Research Cluster uses nature for artBruneiTrails.com steps online32 Transfiguration of Space33 UBD & NYBG Research collaborationDiscover Conferences34 UBD attends The First Convention of WAiBSSHBIE hosts 17th International Conference on Education35 SHBIE links With CESAWelcoming MessagediscoverUBD is delighted to welcome returningand new students and faculty to the firstsemester of the 2012/2013 academic session!After a busy and productive break for ourstudents, this first semester saw UBD play host tonumerous world players, including Her ExcellencyMrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton (pg 5), who, withHis Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah,inaugurated the Brunei-US English LanguageEnrichment Project for ASEAN.The project, which is based out of UBD, isemblematic of the ways in which UBD is provingitself to be a partner of note internationally. Thelectures given by “Deedat Plus” Dr. Zakir Naik (pg10) and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Mr. ChunDing and Mr. Soon Loo (pg 6), amongst others,were sites of lively and progressive debate anddialogue, which can only enhance the learningenvironment which UBD strives to provide forits students and faculty. Beyond that, UBDcontinues to gather recognition from regionaland international bodies, from eG.InC’s victoryat the FutureGov Awards (pg 10), to becominga member of the Asia-Pacific Bureau (pg 24), toour students’ winning the BICTA Award (pg 23).The first academic semester of the year isnoteworthy annually for a different reason,however. Every year the Convocation ceremonyis cause for pride, and a reaffirmation of UBD’scontribution to the nation through nurturinggraduates who are community-minded,responsible, and prepared for a global future.We strive to instill these qualities in all of ourgraduates, and this year’s Vice ChancellorMedal winner (pg 28) is an exemplar of oursuccess. We do not forget in our celebrations ouroverseas graduates, of whom we are particularlyproud (pg 26).This issue of discoverubd is packed with stories ofour achievements and progress as an institution,but perhaps I’ll take the time to highlight onewhich I feel is a small sign of UBD’s future. UBD’sGlobal Health Classroom (pg 21) is symbolic,I think, of UBD’s place in the internationalworld of higher education: a site of facilitation,innovation, and collaboration - anchored righthere on campus.discoverUBD would like once again to welcomeback all members, congratulate all graduates,and offer our highest hopes for the semesterahead.Best wishes,Hjh Anis Faudzulani Hj DzulkifleeAssistant Vice Chancellor(Corporate and Administration)EditorialContactInternational and Public Relations Officeoffice.ipro@ubd.edu.bnEditorial BoardDr. Teo Siew Yean, Dr. Kathrina DP Haji Mohd Daud, HjhNuairah Afiifah Hj Abdul Wahab, Khairunnisa Hj Ibrahim,Hjh Joanna Yacob and Hj Ramli Hj JaafarDiscoverFEATUREUBD’s 24th Convocation Ceremony sees recordnumber of graduates in new programmesUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) held its 24th Convocation Ceremony on 15 September at ChancellorHall. The ceremony was graced by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah,the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Chancellor of UBD and His Royal Highness Prince(Dr.) Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Pro-Chancellor of UBD.In his Sembah Alu-Aluan (Opening Remarks), the Vice Chancellor Dato Paduka Dr. Haji Zulkarnain HajiHanafi congratulated the new graduates and shared that a total of 1165 students had successfullycompleted their studies in UBD in the last academic year, highlighting that there had been an increasein Masters graduates by 56% from last year, including the first graduates in the Public Health, Logistics,Energy Studies, New Media, Computing and New Media, Counselling and Southeast Asian Studiesprogrammes. These new programmes were conceived as a result of discussions with a number ofgovernment agencies and the private sector who shared with the university their views on the currentand future needs of the workforce and job market. The Vice Chancellor committed in his remarks to acontinued collaboration with these stakeholders in the planning of UBD’s programmes.The Vice Chancellor also mentioned the university’s innovative involvement in the “Global Classroom”,which would allow lecture sessions held in UBD to be available to students and lecturers in otheruniversities via multi-site video conferencing. He then introduced the Bursary Scheme Scholarship Awardwhich will be open to local applicants interested in taking a PhD programme. This move was a responseto His Majesty’s call to increase workforce participation from the locals. The Vice Chancellor also tookthe opportunity to emphasise UBD’s continued and unrelenting commitment to research, as evidencedby the past year’s achievements and plans for the coming academic year.3

4DiscoverFEATUREDiscoverFEATURE5Pesta Konvo opened by HRH the Crown PrinceUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) held theConvocation Festival 2012, commonly referredto as Pesta Konvo from 5 September to 28October. The Pesta Konvo was officiated at theCore Residential College, UBD on 5 September2012 by His Royal Highness Prince (Dr.) Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Kebawah Duli Yang MahaMulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji HassanalBolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the CrownPrince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’sOffice, Pro-Chancellor UBD. His Royal Highnessconsented to view the Arts Installation Exhibitionwhich was curated by Dr. Chris Woo, a lecturerin the Professional Communication and Mediaprogramme. The exhibition displayed artwork byUBD students including a 6-metre wide domedinfrastructure located outside of the CoreResidential College.Pesta Konvo is an annual event held in conjunctionwith UBD’s Convocation Ceremony to celebratethe success of the university’s graduates.This year’s Pesta Konvo marked UBD’s 24thConvocation Ceremony and carried the theme“Ke Arah Kesempurnaan Insan” (Perfecting theIndividual). This theme emphasized UBD’s rolein producing graduates that are holistic andcompetitively marketable, through initiatives suchas the Excellence in the Professional Arena, theExcellence in Education and the Holistic Excellenceinitiatives.A number of activities were lined up for thePesta Konvo, including an Al-Qur’an recitationceremony, an interfaculty Memorizationcompetition, interfaculty sports, an Islamic Poetrycompetition, and several UBD FM events. Activitieswere open to the public in order to strengthen thebond between the university and the community.The finale of the Pesta Konvo will be the 2nd UBDConvo Run, a fundraising event, to be held on 4November 2012.Inaugural Launch of The Brunei-US EnglishLanguage Enrichment Project For ASEANby Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade andU.S. Secretary of StateHis Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, theMinister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Negara BruneiDarussalam, and Her Excellency Mrs. Hillary RodhamClinton, Secretary of State of the United States ofAmerica, visited Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) on7 September 2012 to inaugurate the launch of theBrunei-U.S. English Language Enrichment Project forASEAN.The Brunei-U.S. English Language Enrichment Projectfor ASEAN is a project which will run for a period offive years and will involve Brunei Darussalam, theUnited States and all the countries of ASEAN. It aimsto strengthen ASEAN as an institution and also theindividual member states by developing the Englishlanguage and associated skills of key personnel inthe countries concerned. In addition, it will helpfoster other important educational and cultural linksbetween the two countries and the countries ofASEAN.UBD, which has already implemented dynamicnew approaches in its undergraduate programmes,has been chosen as the executive agency for theproject on the Bruneian side. On the American side,the renowned East-West Center (EWC) in Hawai’i hasbeen chosen to collaborate on the project.The aims of the project are to raise the levels ofEnglish of the participants, to raise awareness andappreciation of the rich cultural diversity of thepeoples of ASEAN, and to support greater integrationin ASEAN as the organisation moves towards theopen ASEAN Community envisaged for 2015.

6DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS7University Medals, Book Prizes and StaffExcellence Awards presented in conjunctionwith UBD’s 24th Convocation CeremonyUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) celebratedthe achievements of its outstanding students atthe Presentation Ceremony of University Medals,Book Prizes and Staff Excellence Awards held inconjunction with the recent 24th ConvocationCeremony on 29 September 2012 at ChancellorHall. Present to grace the ceremony was PehinOrang Kaya Seri Kerma Dato Seri Setia Haji AwangAbu Bakar Haji Apong, the Minister of Education.Welcoming remarks were delivered by DatoPaduka Dr. Haji Zulkarnain Haji Hanafi, PermanentSecretary of Higher Education and Vice Chancellorof UBD.The event saw 23 student recipients receivingmedals, including Haji Mohd Khalil Kashfi HajiMohd Kashfi, who was presented with the ViceChancellor’s Medal for his contributions to theuniversity.UBD staff were also honoured for theirachievements. Recipients of the Staff ExcellenceAward included Dr. Haji Noor Azam Orang KayaMaha Bijaya Haji Othman, Dr. Hajah Mas Rina WatiHaji Abdul Hamid, Dr. Hajah Sainah Haji Saim, Dr.Hajah Rosmawijah Haji Jawawi, Dr. Jose HernandezSantos, Dayang Rubiah Haji Yacub and AwangGani Haji Mat Salleh.UBD students attend 3rd University ScholarsLeadership Symposium in BaliHaji Ahmad Hamiz (R) with Robin Lim (L), founder of the HealthyMother Earth Foundation and the CNN Hero of the Year 2011From 1 to 7 August, a total of 400 youths from 33countries gathered in Bali, Indonesia to attend the3rd University Scholars Leadership Symposium.This third annual symposium, organized byHumanitarian Affairs UK, a London-based socialenterprise, was attended by 7 students fromUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).The symposium brought students from outstandinguniversities around the world together to exploreglobal issues concerning sustainable development,including the plight of those suffering from poverty,child trafficking, and the lack of clean water.The event aimed at providing future leaders withthe opportunity to build a youth network that workstowards alleviating the plight of underprivilegedcommunities in developing countries.Discussions during this symposium sought toprovide the basic necessary skills for youths to plan,manage and implement a successful humanitarianservice project in their own local community.Haji Ahmad Hamiz, 19, majoring in BusinessAdministration said he had learnt to extractelements from projects run by other students forimplementation here in Brunei.Luqman Bahrin, 21, majoring in Accounting and Finance called the trip “unforgettable” and said he hadlearnt a lot about cultural differences, values and practices.UBD hosts lecture by Silicon Valley venturecapitalistsAs part of Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD)commitment to ensure the practicality and qualityof its knowledge transfer in entrepreneurshipto its students, a public lecture featuring twoexperienced venture capital investors was heldon 27 September. The title of the lecture was “HowBrunei can benefit from the best of Silicon Valleyand China: The Myths and Possibilities of World-Class Entrepreneurship.” The one-day event wasorganised by the Faculty of Business, Economicsand Policy Studies (FBEPS) and took place inChancellor Hall.The first speaker, Mr. Chun Ding, shared hisexperience as a venture capital investorhighlighting the key criteria for successful start-ups.Mr Ding, who graduated with an MBA from theHarvard Business School, where he was electedBaker Scholar, is the founder of CRCM, and hasbeen directly responsible for managing billion-dollarinvestment portfolios. He has extensive experiencein investing in early stage enterprises in both Asiaand the US. Mr. Ding was previously a ManagingMember of Farallon Capital Management and hasworked at Goldman Sachs. He was one of the firsttwo investors of YouKo.com (known as the YouTubeof China).The second speaker, Mr. Soon Loo, was the cofounderof a venture capital funded start-up inSilicon Valley which raised over US$37M. A highlysought after Senior Executive Coach and formerlyone of the youngest regional Vice Presidents ofthe AXA Group (a Global Fortune 50 company),Mr. Soon has counted a $120M portfolio amongsthis responsibilities and has effectively managedregional projects across 11 countries. In teachingentrepreneurship and innovation in universities inSingapore and Brunei, Mr. Soon was twice awardeda top 10 adjunct business faculty member at theSingapore Management University. Like Mr. Ding,Mr. Soon holds an MBA from the Harvard BusinessSchool.During the event, students had the opportunityto present their business ideas for feedback andadvice from the two entrepreneurs.On the first day of the symposium, keynote speaker Arthur Gillette, the former secretary-general of theCoordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service, and retired director of UNESCO’s Youth andSports Division in Paris, shared his volunteering experiences in many countries and talked about voluntaryservices around the world, as well as linking volunteerism to education.Other notables in attendance were Geraldine Cox, the president and founder of the non-profitorganization Sunrise Children’s Home, Raoul Wijffels, founder and executive director of the One Dollar ForMusic Foundation in Bali, and Robin Lim, founder of the Healthy Mother Earth Foundation and the CNNHero of the Year 2011.Singapore President presents OutstandingInternational Volunteer Award to UBD ProfessorHis Excellency Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, the Presidentof the Republic of Singapore, presented theinaugural Outstanding International VolunteerAward to UBD Chair Professor David Koh on 14 Sep2012. This is a new award recognising volunteerswho have shared their expertise, time andresources in multiple countries, shown exceptionalleadership in enabling long term change suchas creating mindset changes and lobbying forpolicy changes in those countries, and ralliedother professionals to come forward and volunteeras well. Out of 10 candidates considered for thishonour, three were shortlisted, and one recipientconferred the award. Professor Koh’s awardwas in recognition of his 17 years of unwavering,dedicated service in volunteer occupationalhealth work in countries such as Indonesia andVietnam.

8DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS9Princeton professor gives talk on impactsand economics of oil palm logging andagricultureProfessor David S. Wilcove, Professor of Public Affairs and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at theWoodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, was in Brunei Darussalam from 25 June to 2 July 2012 on aresearch visit.Professor Wilcove, a renowed conservation ecologist who has worked with some of the foremost expertsin the field, including the late Professor Navjot Sodhi, was here as part of an ongoing collaborationbetween Princeton University and UBD on a research project titled “Ecology and conservation ofblackwater fishes in intact and disturbed peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia.” His local collaboratorsat UBD are Dr. Rahayu Sukri and AP Dr. Hajah Zohrah Haji Sulaiman of the Biology Programme, Faculty ofScience (FOS).Closing Ceremony Dinner for Graduatesof the e-Government Executive TrainingProgramme Batch 2During his visit, Professor Wilcove gave a FOS-hosted public lecture on “Understanding the biodiversityimpacts and economics of logging and oil palm agriculture in Sabah.” The lecture focused on workconducted by the ecologist and his research team in Sabah, where they found that selective loggingcauses relatively moderate losses of biodiversity, whereas conversion of forests to oil palm results incatastrophic losses. He highlighted that the conservation of selectively logged forests may offer a costeffectivemeans to enlarge existing reserves or connect them with corridors.To complete his first visit to Brunei, Professor Wilcove made several field visits to forest sites in the Belaitdistrict, to experience firsthand pristine lowland mixed dipterocarp, heath and peat swamp forests.On 28 August, the e-Government Innovation Centre (eG.InC) hosted a closing ceremony for Batch 2 ofthe e-Government Executive Training Programme, consisting of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) andChief Technical Officers (CTOs) from various government ministries in Brunei Darussalam.The event was held at the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club Jerudong, in conjunction with eG.InC’sHari Raya Celebration. Yang Mulia Tuan Adi Shamsul bin Hj Sabli, Deputy Permanent Secretary (IT ande-Government) at the Prime Minister’s Office was the guest of honour for the evening. The event wasalso attended by Dyg Hjh Anis Faudzulani binti Hj Dzulkiflee, Assistant Vice Chancellor (Corporate andAdministration) of UBD, Dr. Hjh Syamimi binti Hj Md Ariff Lim, Deputy Director of eG.InC, Mr. Richard Kerby,Senior Inter-Regional Advisor from UNDESA, participants from Batch 1 and Batch 2 of the ExecutiveTraining Programme, as well as eG.InC staff members.Plaques were presented to the best students and the best final group project, which was entitled“Information Security” and which provided useful material for the government to map out security plansand formulate security strategies. The study found that human factors affecting information securitycontinued to be crucial challenges. Members of the winning group were Dyg Hjh Marinah binti Hj Mulokfrom the Prime Minister’s Office, Dyg Chua Swee Meng from the Ministry of Health, Dyg Voon Oi Khiun ofUBD and Dyg Hjh Rubiah binti Hj Othman from the e-Government National Centre.UK’s premier climate scientist Dr Vicky Popegives lecture at UBDOn 1 October, in association with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the British High Commission,one of the UK’s premier climate scientists, Dr. Vicky Pope, gave a lecture at the Institute of Leadership,Innovation and Advancement (ILIA) entitled “Latest developments in climate modelling and how it isused in decision making.”Introducing the lecture was British High Commissioner Rob Fenn who remarked, “I see Dr Pope’s visit– which is the latest contribution to scientific exchanges between the UK and Brunei – as part of astrengthening network of research relationships, and as evidence that British and Bruneian researchers arenatural partners. It also goes to show that Brunei’s commitment to serious science (which includes the topflight facilities here at UBD) benefit from the Sultanate’s established reputation as an energy provider andas “Custodian of the Rainforest.” Dr Pope’s work involves modelling an “Earth system” of which Brunei’speat swamp forests and other carbon sinks are an iconic part. Brunei’s extraordinary biodiversity is abellwether for climate change.”UBD holds web designing course for librariansFrom 28 to 30 May, Universiti Brunei Darussalam(UBD) lecturers Mr. Chong Kim Onn, Pengiran Dr.Haji Norjaidi Pengiran Tuah and Dr. MohamedIsmail Seyed Mohamed Buhari conducted a webdesigningcourse for librarians from around thecountry.The aim of this course, which was attended bylibrarians from other higher education institutions,including UNISSA and ITB, was to equip participantswith basic technical, mechanical and artisticunderstanding of modern web site design, towardsdeveloping library services.Participants expressed hopes that further trainingcourses would be organised by UBD in the future.The High Commissioner also showed a home movie about a visit to UBD’s Faunal Survey at Sungai Ingei,calling it his “salute to science in Brunei”, and adding that “the knowledge economy is like a river. InBrunei it rises here, at UBD.”Dr. Pope has been working for the UK Meteorology Office (the UK’s National Weather Service) since the1980s and in 2002, she became a senior manager, responsible for various aspects of the climate researchprogramme for various government departments which focus on the provision of climate change adviceto underpin policy development. More recently, she led work to improve the communication of climatechange in light of its increasing importance in the public arena.Dr. Pope’s lecture concentrated on how models are used to underpin policies with regards to climatechange and demonstrated how model results combined with analysis of observations have been used toprovide evidence for developing policies and planning.Those attending the lecture included UBD academics and students, as well as representatives fromBrunei’s main policy advisers and makers, including the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, theBrunei Economic Development Board and the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies. Other stakeholdersin attendance were the Brunei Meteorological Service, the Climate Change Unit, the Department ofDrainage and Sewerage National Seismic Centre, the National Disaster Management Centre and severalsixth form students.Dr. Pope’s visit was funded by the UK ASEAN Knowledge Partnership Mobility Scheme, which isadministered by the UK’s network of diplomatic posts in Southeast Asia with the aim of promotingcollaboration between the UK and ASEAN countries.

10DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS11UBD hosts lecture series by “Deedat Plus”Dr. Zakir NaikUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) had the pleasure of hosting a lecture series by the eminent Dr. Zakir Naik,a renowned international orator on Islam. Dr. Naik, who was ranked 62 on a list of “The 500 Most InfluentialMuslims in the World” (George Washington University, USA), presented a four-part lecture series during hisstay, covering “The role of the Muslim youth: challenges and realities,” “The changing role of women intoday’s society,” “Medicine in Al-Quran and As-Sunnah” and “Scientific facts and insights in the Al-Quran.”All of the lectures were well-attended and were the source of much discussion amongst participants.The late Sheikh Ahmed Deedat called Dr. Naik “Deedat Plus” and awarded him for his achievements inthe field of da’wah (propagation). During his stay, Dr. Naik also hosted a dialogue with youth leaders inBrunei.First Coffee@eG.InC session tacklescloud computingThe e-Government Innovation Centre (eG.InC)organised its first Coffee@eG.InC session on 12July as part of an e-Government forum, whichwas supported by the e-Government NationalCentre (EGNC). The session was attendedby eG.InC alumni from the first and secondbatch of the e-Government Executive TrainingProgramme (2011-2012), EGNC officers, as wellas representatives from relevant agencies in thegovernment and private sectors.eG.InC shortlisted at the FutureGov Awardsand Summit 2012The e-Government Innovation Centre (eG.InC) of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) proved triumphant asthe Centre managed to bag the award for ‘Citizen Engagement’ in the FutureGov Awards and Summit2012 after being shortlisted as top two in the categories of ‘Business Process’ and ‘Citizen Engagement’.Winners of the FutureGov Awards were announced during the eighth annual FutureGov Summit at theFutureGov Gala Dinner on 19 October in Chiang Mai, Thailand and were featured in the September/October issue of the FutureGov magazine. Three government officials, Deputy Permanent Secretary (ITand e-Government) Tuan Adi Shamsul bin Hj Sabli, Director of the E-Government National Centre (EGNC)Muhammad Norshafiee bin Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Jalil and Deputy Director of eG.InC, Dr. Hjh Syamimibinti Hj Md Ariff Lim, attended the FutureGov Awards ceremony.The FutureGov’s ‘Business Process’ award category recognizes excellence in the alignment of businessprocess best practices with technology application whereas the ‘Citizen Engagement’ award categoryrecognizes the importance of citizens’ participation in governance to enhance better delivery ofgovernment services.The main topic of discussion was ‘Cloud Computingand Green Data Centres for e-Government’ andwas led by Mr. Charles Huh, the Vice President ofthe Cloud Business Department at Korea Telecom.The session was facilitated by Dr. Yong Chee Tuan,Acting Deputy Director of eG.InC.The discussion centred on issues around theincreasing demand of data transfer that requirescloud computing since existing IT resourcesoffer limited storage and computing power. Bigcompanies such as Goggle and Korea Telecomhave already harnessed cloud computing tomeet the ever changing IT environment. GreenICTs, with their particular emphasis on data centresolutions and effective cooling methods, haveaccordingly been utilised to fulfil the requirementsof environmental protection in accordance withinternational guidelines and energy consumptionusage. Over the course of the discussion, eG.InCalumni and other attendees raised some concernsabout the serious challenges faced by data centreoperators with regards to reducing energy costs.FutureGov Awards celebrates the successes of Asia-Pacific’s most forward-looking government, educationand healthcare organisations. In addition, the FutureGov Awards is the international benchmark used injudging public sector innovation and to recognize the most successful city modernisation programmesin the Asia-Pacific region. The awards are open to government, education and healthcare organisationsand city administrations.Founded by UBD and in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Korea Advanced Instituteof Science and Technology (KAIST), eG.InC was established to serve as an e-Government think-tank forresearch, training, and forums. The Centre’s mission to be a global leader for the sustainable developmentof an Information Society is in-line with the Brunei Vision 2035 to establish a knowledge-based economy.Coffee@eG.InC sessions aim to share bestpractices and experiences as well as learn aboutrelatively new emerging ICT and e-Governmenttopics through encouraging active discussionbetween various stakeholders (government,industries, academia, and internationalorganisations). The session is to be held monthly onan informal basis, and attendees are encouragedto raise issues, views, and opinions related toe-Government over coffee.

12DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS13UBD formally accredits RIPAS and SSB asteaching hospitalsJune 2012 marked another milestone in medicaleducation in Brunei, with the formal accreditationof the two largest public hospitals in the country asteaching hospitals by the PAP Rashidah Sa’adatulBolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti BruneiDarussalam (UBD). Both the RIPAS (Raja IsteriPengiran Anak Saleha) hospital in the capital andthe Suri Seri Begawan (SSB) hospital in the Belaitdistrict have a long history of active involvementin undergraduate as well as postgraduatemedical education. In 2000, RIPAS was accreditedas a teaching hospital by the QueenslandUniversity Hospital. However, this is the first formalaccreditation of both sites as teaching hospitals bythe national university in Brunei Darussalam.UBD PhD candidatepromotes sustainableconsumption in EstoniaPublic Profile:Professor VictorTerrence KingBy Wan Bazlaa KarimThe accreditation by UBD is valid for three years, and will be a continuing process. The accreditationprovides recognition of the hospital’s contributions by doctors, nurses and allied health professionalsin clinical education. It also seeks to strengthen future cooperation and collaboration between thehospitals and the university.The accreditation process to become a teaching hospital is rigorous, and involves the attainment of someimportant criteria, including the adequacy of educational resources, evidence of teaching and trainingplans and outcomes, research, continuous development of clinical faculty in professionalism, academicexchanges and community education and adequacy in administration support.Teaching hospitals provide specialised services and advanced technology to treat rare diseases andcomplex patients, offer a high quality of care and focus both on patient as well as staff safety. They havea productive and collaborative university partnership with access to university resources and have thecapability of conducting biomedical research of national relevance. Such hospitals are benchmarkedand accredited, and as a result are getting better all the time.The attainment of UBD teaching hospital status signals the continuation of a healthy partnership betweenRIPAS, SSB and UBD, towards the delivery of quality care and the development of the nation’s futurehealthcare workforce.This article draws on references from the article “Perspectives – What’s great about teaching hospitals?”by David Koh, Maslina Mohsin, Mohd Ayub Sadiq and Ahmad Faisal bin Hj Zainal Abidin.The UNDESA works with eG.InC to conducte-Government Survey WorkshopOn 27 August, the e-Government InnovationCentre (eG.InC) in collaboration with thee-Government National Centre (EGNC) successfullyorganised a two-day UN e-Government SurveyWorkshop, which was conducted by Mr. RichardKerby, a Senior Inter-Regional Advisor for the UnitedNations Department of Economic and SocialAffairs (UNDESA). The workshop was attended byChief Information Officers (CIOs), Chief TechnicalOfficers (CTOs), and Public Relations Officers (PROs)from various government ministries as well asrepresentatives from the e-Government LeadershipForum (EGLF).The objectives of the workshop were to share thebest practices of countries which have reachedtop 15 status in the UN e-Government rankings,learn about e-Government studies conductedby the UN and assess the implementation of thee-Government principles of Brunei in accordancewith the guidelines of the United Nations report.During the Rio+20 United Nations Conference inJune 2012, world leaders emphasized the needto promote sustainable patterns of consumptionand production. The 18th ASEF University (AU18)themed “Conscious Consumers for EnvironmentalSustainability” was a response to this need, aimingto broaden horizons and deepen insight intosustainable consumption in multi-cultural settings.Nursalwa Baharuddin, a Faculty of Science(Biology) graduate student was selected to attendfrom over 400 applicants across Asia and Europe.Nursalwa, along with 41 other students and youngprofessionals from 33 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)countries attended the programme, which was coorganisedby the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF),the University of Tartu (UT), and the Estonian StudentCouncils’ Union (ESCU). The programme was heldfrom 18 August to 1 September in Tartu, Estonia.Lectures and interactive workshops wereconducted by highly regarded academics andexperts from the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP), the Sustainable EuropeResearch Institute (SERI), the ConsumersInternational Office for Asia Pacific and the MiddleEast (CIAPME), Earth Hour Global and the Let’s Do ItFoundation.Nursalwa shared her joy at being able to meetProfessor Jaak Aaviksoo, the Estonian Minister ofEducation and Research, who officially openedthe AU18 programme and encourages other UBDstudents to participate in future ASEF programmes.Victor T. KingBA Geography and Sociology, Masters inAnthropology and Indonesian Studies, PhD in SocialAnthropology, FRSAExecutive Director, White Rose East Asia Centre(WREAC), University of LeedsEmeritus Professor Victor T. King is a visiting professorto Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), who is alsothe executive director of the White Rose East AsiaCentre in the University of Leeds, United Kingdom,where research for Southeast Asian Studies isconducted.He has been an academic in the field of SoutheastAsian Studies and Anthropology since the early1970s.He received his PhD from the University of Hull afterconducting field research in Kalimantan, Indonesiain Social Anthropology.Prof King has previously received recognition inthe Sultanate, as the first examiner for UBD of theSociology programme in 1999. He was also a guestspeaker two years ago in the Borneo ResearchCouncil (BRC).Prof King recently delivered a talk in UBD regarding‘World Heritage Sites’ that UNESCO would considerundertaking for development and preservationin Brunei, including Kampong Ayer. During thetalk, Prof King suggested that Kampong Ayer’sunique status as a living community space requiresspecialised research and consideration. Prof Kingfeels that, provided with these, Kampong Ayer hasevery chance of becoming a recognised worldheritage site.During his time at UBD, Prof King is affiliated withboth the Institute of Asian Studies and the Sociologyand Anthropology programmes, in which heteaches in modules on the societies and cultures ofBorneo.

14DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS15UBD congregates with the University ofNorth Carolina (UNC) and Universidad SanFrancisco de Quito (USFQ) in the GalapagosArchipelagoFrom 1 to 14 July, two Universiti Brunei Darussalam(UBD) delegates - Associate Professor Dr. Hjh ZohrahHj Sulaiman, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UBD andDr. Faizah Hj Metali, from the Faculty of Science -visited the Galapagos Archipelago for a researchmeeting with the University of North Carolina (UNC),USA and Universidad San Francisco de Quito(USFQ), Ecuador. The visit was initiated throughformal invitation from Professor Stephen Walsh,Director of the UNC Center for Galapagos Studies,Co-Director of the UNC-USFQ Galapagos ScienceCenter (GSC) and Professor of Geography at UNC.UNC is a member of the International Consortiumof Universities for the study of Biodiversity and theEnvironment (iCUBE), which was launched by UBDin January 2011.One adult of the San Cristobal subspecies of Galapagos tortoise(Geochelone chathensi) in the Galapaguera Tortoise Preserve(Picture by H. Mohammad & W. Tuah).The 10-day research meeting consisted of several informal meetings and discussions between variousfaculty members from the UNC, USFQ, UNC-USFQ GSC and Galapagos Academic Institute for the Artsand Sciences (GAIAS) and visits to many natural attraction sites in San Cristobal and on the IsabelaIslands of Galapagos. With the objective of promoting scientific research and education that will helpsafeguard the fragile and rapidly changing volcanic island ecosystems, the GSC houses four laboratoriesfor research in terrestrial ecology, marine ecology and oceanography, geospatial technologies (whichinclude remote sensing and GIS) and microbiology.During their time in the Galapagos Islands, AP Dr. Hjh Zohrah and Dr. Faizah were able to meet with twoUBD undergraduates, Dyg Huzaimah Hj Mohammad Din and Dyg Wardah Hj Tuah, who were based inSan Cristobal for a 6-week study abroad programme run by UNC and USFQ’s GAIAS.7th HELP workshop conformable with MOEstrategic planThe Institute for Leadership, Innovation andAdvancement (ILIA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam(UBD) organised the 7th Head of DepartmentExecutive Leadership Programme (HELP) on 9August 2012.The HELP workshop, which was first introduced inOctober 2010, aims to form a steady group of theHead of Departments in the Ministry of Education,to identify strategic and innovative initiatives tohandle issues and problems faced by the Ministryand schools, in line with the progress of the nation’s21st century education system. HELP also worksto minimise the gaps in understanding betweenschools and the MOE.The 7th HELP workshop was attended by Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Permanent Secretaries of theMOE, Heads of Departments, Heads of Sections, as well as the Minister of Education, Yang Berhormat PehinOrang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, the Deputy Minister of Ministry ofEducation, Yang Mulia Dato Seri Setia Haji Yussof Bin Haji Ismail, and the Vice Chancellor of UBD, Yang MuliaDato Paduka Dr. Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi.Initiatives from this workshop were conformable with the introduction of the 2012 – 2017 Ministry of EducationStrategic Plan which focused on 3 main areas – teaching and learning, professionalism and accountabilityand efficiency and innovation. HELP is expected to intensify performance, productivity, and the urgency ofleaders from the Ministry in supporting the achievement of Brunei’s National Vision 2035.Five generations of UBD geology studentscelebrate Hari RayaWhile at the GSC, AP Dr. Hjh Zohrah and Dr. Faizah discussed the possible signing of a trilateralMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement between UBD and the UNC-USFQ Galapagos ScienceCentre, which would include opportunities for staff and student exchanges, and collaborative researchwith UBD academics.ILIA’s School Leadership Programmegraduates two more cohortsThe Institute for Leadership, Innovation andAdvancement (ILIA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam(UBD), has since March 2010, introduced andcarried out 8 successful cohorts of the SchoolLeadership Programme (SLP). Each cohort consistsof school leaders and teachers from across thenation and region.The 7th cohort of the SLP was conducted from Aprilto July 2012, and the 8th cohort concurrently overJune to September 2012. At the end of all sessions,participants enter into a dialogue session with theMinister of Education, Yang Behormat Pehin OrangKaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang AbuBakar Bin Haji Apong.On 18 September 2012, the 8th cohort was alsogranted a dialogue session with HRH Prince Haji‘Abdul ‘Azim Ibni Kebawah Duli Yang Maha MuliaPaduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal BolkiahMu’izzaddin Waddaulah.Both cohorts graduated on 18 September, ata dinner that was held at the Indera SamudraGrand Hall, at the Empire Hotel and Country Club.Attending the event as the guest of honour was theMinister of Education, Yang Behormat Pehin OrangKaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji AwangAbu Bakar Bin Haji Apong. The graduation dinnerwas also attended by various senior governmentofficers as well as 63 school leaders from 21 primary,secondary and technical schools from throughoutthe nation. Also present were representatives fromthe SMNP 115 in Jakarta, and the Bacolod CentralElementary School in the Philippines.A unique gathering of current and former students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) geologyprogramme celebrated Hari Raya together.Students from the current first and second year geology programme joined their colleagues, someof whom had just returned from studying abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland. Two of this year’s Aberdeengraduates gained outstanding First Class Honours degrees. Many of this year’s graduates are now seekingemployment or will continue their studies to MSc or PhD level and have been accepted at some of themost prestigious universities in the UK, including Imperial College, London, and the universities of Liverpool,Manchester and Newcastle.Dr. Bill Downey, programme leader for the Geosciences, remarked that it was fantastic to see all fivegenerations together and that it was great for the younger undergraduates to be able to see theachievements of their predecessors. The number of students interested in the new GenNext geologymodules at UBD has increased dramatically over the past two years and the programme now has anintake of over 30 students annually.

16DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS17IHS UBD students lend helping hand to theneedy in preparation for AidilfitriA total of 9 students from the Nursing and Midwiferyprogramme in the PAP Rashidah Sa’adatul BolkiahInstitute of Health Sciences (IHS), Universiti BruneiDarussalam (UBD), recently lent a helping handto a family in the hopes of making their Aidilfitricelebration more memorable. This volunteerwork was carried out under the IHS’ CommunityOutreach Programme (COP).UBD students represent Brunei in theHSBC YDC Young Entrepreneur Challenge,Asia-Pacific Regional FinalFacilitated by nursing lecturers Awg DeeniRudita Bin Idris and Dyg Fatimah Arni Haji Daud,the students helped to the house of a family inKampong Bolkiah B in Kampong Ayer and assistedthem in making preparations for Aidilfitri.According to the students the experience wasan eye opener and they were surprised with theextent of support that the family actually needed.They further shared that although they consideredthe help that they had given a small matter, theybelieved that it had a big impact on the familyinvolved.The family was identified with the help of theYayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Volunteers Unitunder the PAWEK Project (Social Care Project forthe elderly and families in need). Over the courseof the project, students and lecturers from the IHSwere invited to donate to the family.The IHS COP is an initiative with the goal ofenhancing the lives of those in need throughcommunity ties and delivering basic health careservices. It also aims to provide outstandingcommunity services by encouraging volunteerismas a tradition for students of the Institute.FASS and IAS sign MoU with the JohannWolfgang Goethe-UniversityProfessor Tong Chee Kiong, Special AcademicAdvisor/Interim Director of the Institute of AsianStudies (IAS), Dr. Yabit Alas. Dean of the Faculty ofArts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Ampuan Dr.Hj Brahim bin Ampuan Hj Tengah, Director of theAcademy of Brunei Studies (APB) of Universiti BruneiDarussalam (UBD) visited the Johann WolfgangGoethe-University (JWG), Frankfurt, Germany inJune 2012, where they signed two Memorandumsof Understanding (MoUs).The Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University is apremier national university with over 41,000 studentsand 4,000 staff, which include 19 Nobel Prizelaureates. With over 6,500 international students, itis also ranked among the top 100 universities in theworld in the Shanghai Jiao-Tong Index. During thesigning of the MoUs, the Vice-President of the JWGUniversity, Professor Dr. Matthias Lutz-Bachmannnoted that the university has a strong interest inSoutheast Asia and Islamic Studies, providingmany opportunities for collaboration between UBDand JWG. As part of the two MoUs, one of whichwas between FASS and JWG, the other betweenIAS and JWG, UBD has agreed to host a jointlyorganised international workshop in 2013.In June 2012, three MBA students from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) won gold in the HSBC BruneiYoung Entrepreneur Challenge. Gary Lim Kwok Chuen, Haji Abdul Aleem bin Haji Abdullah andNimewirnah Haji Hanafi have since gone on to represent Brunei at the HSBC YDC Young EntrepreneurChallenge Asia-Pacific Regional Competition, which was held in Hong Kong on 6 August. The competitionwas organized by the Young Entrepreneurs Development Council (YDC).The students’ team, Kin-Ethics, brought a business idea to revolutionise smart phone batteries throughthe use of kinetic energy. They re-engineered and demonstrated a new and workable prototype modelduring the competition to compete with 6 other teams including EcoCell Brick (Malaysia), HealthyCaps(Bangladesh), NoTreeSsue (Indonesia), the Newline Reservation System (Thailand), Young Intelligence(Hong Kong) and the Prototyping Service Company (Hong Kong). Team EcoCell Brick from Malaysiaeventually won both the Asia Technopreneur Award and the Best of the Best Award.Aimed at promoting the entrepreneurial spirit amongst youths, the competition was packed with visits toprominent organizations in Hong Kong, including HSBC, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited,and Lee Kum Kee. In addition to the visits, the students attended an Entrepreneur Forum held at the HongKong Polytechnic University, at which two of Hong Kong’s top entrepreneurs, Mr. Harry Lee and Mr. KingLeung, shared their experiences.UBD Library holds Khatam Al-Qur’an andTahlil ceremonyThe Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Library heldits fourth Khatam Al-Quran and Tahlil ceremony on16 August.Present as guest of honour was Dr. Haji Suhaimi binHaji Abdul Karim, Chief Librarian. The function washeld as part of a series of events to glorify the holymonth of Ramadhan, and was the culminationof weekly ongoing Qur’an reading sessions. TheLibrary considers such events a contributiontowards establishing Brunei Darussalam as a nationof remembrance (Dikir) through the strength of theAl-Qur’an.

UBD’s 24th Convocation Ceremony

22DiscoverNEWSDiscoverNEWS23FBEPS attends Babson Global Consortium forEntrepreneurship Educators (GCEE) meetingUBD Students receive BICTA awardThe Faculty of Business, Economics and PolicyStudies (FBEPS) was recently invited to participate inthe Babson Global Consortium for EntrepreneurshipEducators (GCEE) in Boston, USA from 19 to 23June. The faculty was represented by its Dean, Dr.Hazri Kifle and faculty member Adna ShatriremieAbd Rahman.The purpose of the meeting was to explore thepossibility of the faculty becoming a member ofthe GCEE. Membership in the consortium wouldallow FBEPS to learn the strategies that has madeBabson the world’s top institution in the area ofentrepreneurship. The undergraduate programmein Babson has been ranked first in the world in thearea of entrepreneurship since 1995 and its MBAfor entrepreneurship has also been recognised asthe leading programme of its kind over the last 15years.GCEE members are granted access to Babson’s relationships and networks around the world includingother GCEE members, best-in-class opportunities for institutional and faculty enrichment, participationin cutting-edge entrepreneurship research, curriculum advisory services, faculty development (FellowsProgramme), Entrepreneurship Center development and branding opportunities.FBEPS recognises that GCEE membership will provide UBD with a strategic partner in realising itsentrepreneurship thrust and becoming a centre of excellence for the development of business leaders inthe region.Awangku Mohd KhairiHiro TienAwangku Mohd Khairi Pengiran Haji Metussin (Project Manager of PHMD Publishing) and Hiro Tien(Founder of SocialBuzz Advertising), two enterprising UBD students, have made the university proud bybeing recipients of the Brunei ICT Award (BICTA) 2012.The BICTA Awards is a competition jointly organised by the Ministry of Communications (MoC), theAuthority for Info-communications Technology of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and Infocom Federation Brunei(IFB). Awangku Mohd Khairi bagged an award in the e-learning category for an interactive Brunei RoadSafety e-book; while Hiro won third place in the New Media and Entertainment category with a globalmarketplace product for digital services with geo-location tagging abilities.13 UBD students conductcommunity study in SurabayaOrientation For New SHBIE Graduate Students2012/2013The Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education(SHBIE), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) held anorientation programme for the latest batch of 98graduate students at the Central Lecture Theatreon 31 July. The graduate students were admitted tothe Master of Teaching (68), Master in Counselling(20) and the Graduate Diploma of Education (10)programmes for the current academic year.SHBIE introduced the MTeach programme as aflagship teacher-licensing programme in 2009, witha view to producing a breed of new high caliberteachers who will meet the educational needs ofBrunei Darussalam in the 21st century. The latestbatch of MTeach candidates will be the fourthcohort to enter this cutting edge professionalqualification programme for entry to the teachingprofession. Building on the disciplinary knowledgeand critical analytic skills of entry level graduatestudents, the MTeach is designed to provide adeep understanding of teaching and learning andto develop effective professional skills.The programme has earned high praise from itspast graduates. A previous graduate, Dk. Marlina,commented that “the course was useful in reengineeringmy teaching skills.” Another graduate,Go Boon Tin commended the school placementpractice.The latest batch of candidates for the Masterin Counselling are the second cohort of thisprogramme, which provides an advanced level ofknowledge on major approaches to counsellingand training in counselling practice, helping thecandidates to develop skills for counselling in theworkplace. The Graduate Diploma in Education isa one-year full time programme that qualifies theholders for employment in the educational sector.This programme provides an alternate pathwayleading to higher degrees in education.In addition to these taught graduate programmesleading to MTeach and MEd by coursework, SHBIEalso offers research degrees leading to PhD andMaster of Education for professional teachersand education administrators who wish to createand interpret new knowledge, through originalresearch or other advanced scholarship that willextend the forefront of the discipline, and meritpublication. SHBIE research degree programmeshave attracted a number of foreign graduatestudents, the latest of whom are from Nigeria,Indonesia and Bhutan.On 9 September, 13 students from the Faculty ofArts and Social Sciences (FASS) and the Facultyof Business, Economics and Policy Studies (FBEPS),Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) left for Surabayaon a Community Outreach Programme (COP)as part of their Discovery Year. The students werejointly supervised by a host university in Surabaya,the Airlangga University, as well as UBD. An MoUwas signed between Airlangga University andUBD in 2011. UBD currently hosts five students fromAirlangga.During the trip, the students will work as a team to help the community in Lamongan, specificallyassisting the students in learning the English language with interactive lessons and activities. Previoussemesters have seen UBD COP students in Southern Thailand and Malaysia. This is the first batch of COPstudents in Indonesia, and a special welcoming ceremony was organised by Airlannga, which wascovered by local press.UBD’s MEd CPA educational visit toKampong AyerSarana and Ugyen during a group activityAs part of their Masters in Education inCurriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, a groupof postgraduates made a visit to KampongAyer in September. The visit constituted one ofthe requirements of the Creative Pedagogy(Education for International Understanding)module, which emphasises cultural exposure andexperimental learning through on-site visits. Duringthe visit, the graduates focused on observingconnections between past, present and futureinterrelation of interlinked lives on-site.Future visits are scheduled to be made, includingone to Pusat Ehsan, which seeks to incorporatespecific education issues into the culturally awaremodule.

28DiscoverNEWSDiscoverRESEARCH29Interview withVice-Chancellor Medal RecipientGroundbreaking iCUBE Bukit PagonExpedition studies Brunei’s montane forestsdiscoverUBD caught up with Haij Mohd KhalilHaji Mohd Kashfi, the 2012 recipient of the ViceChancellor Medal, for a short interview.How does it feel to be a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal?Being the only recipient of the Vice ChancellorMedal for this year’s convocation feels great.Knowing that I am being acknowledged in mycapabilities as an academic as well as an activestudent at the university really motivates me to dowell in the future.It also gives me an opportunity to be a role modelto other students at UBD. Receiving this award helpsto send the message that to be a dynamic student,excelling in academia must be accompanied bynon-academic excellence.What have been the highlights of your time at UBD?First and foremost, being a proud student of UBD.UBD is an institution with endless possibilities and[my time here] has taught me that if you put yourheart and soul into something, chances are it willhappen. If we want to achieve certain goals, wehave to work for it and not rest on our laurels waitingfor other people to change or make them happenfor you. I worked hard to achieve what I have andsitting around was not an option.At UBD, I majored in Sociology-Anthropology andminored in Human Resource Management. Infusingthe two gave me wide range of perspectives onlife. I was able to meet such wonderful lecturers,especially from FASS and FBEPS, and work with themon academic projects or simply exchange ideas onsocial matters. Working with them has helped merealise that I want to be like them too. I want to bea social researcher and an academic.Academically, one of the highlights [of mytime at UBD] is being sent to study abroad atColumbia University, New York. At Columbia, Iwas able to work with a lot of famous academics(anthropologists) whose texts and articles are beingused as part of the syllabus at UBD. That was thecherry on top of my experience in the Big Apple.Moreover, the fact that I was the only studentfrom Brunei at the time studying in Manhattan,really helped me to be more courageous andmore organised, because I had to make my owndecisions when it came to time management.On non-academic matters, being elected as amember of the student representative council forthe 2008/2009 session gave me the opportunityto work with other students from different facultiesas well as other UBD staff. Being a member ofthe student representative council has helped toenhance my leadership and teamwork skills and myevent-organising skills. These skills were put throughendless tests, particularly in helping UBD to organisetheir never-ending events (which is a good thing).In addition, my social networking skills were alsoheightened because as a member of the council Iwas able to meet with a lot of people from UBD aswell as from outside the institution.Perhaps the main highlight of my stay at UBD isthe fact that I helped to establish the first onlinecampus station in Brunei, UBDFm. This is where allmy experiences from student council were put touse in managing the station.Since [it was set up in] 2009, UBDFm, a student-runradio station, has become well established and iswell known within the youth community as well asby government and non-governmental agenciesin Brunei. At UBDFm I have worked with wonderfulstudents from different faculties and I was also ableto work with a number of corporate companies inBrunei.What will you be taking from your time at UBD?As a proud graduate of Universiti BruneiDarussalam, class of 2012, I would like to say thatmy time at UBD was the best university experiencethat one can ever hope to have. It was a lifechangingexperience. Everything that I learnt fromUBD will be put to great use in all aspects of myfuture endeavours and I will take all bittersweetmemories that I have as life-lessons.Where do you go from here?This January, Insya Allah, I will be pursuing mymasters in Humanities and Social Thought at NewYork University, USA. As soon as I attain my Masters,I plan to continue my studies at PhD level towardspursuing my dream to become an academicand a social researcher. Who knows? Perhaps I willreturn to teach at UBD, the place where my journeyas an academic began.discoverUBD would like to congratulate Haji MohdKhalil on his achievement and wishes him the bestin all his future endeavours.The International Consortium of Universities for theStudy of Biodiversity and the Environment (iCUBE),led by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), launchedthe Bukit Pagon Expedition on 1 July at the Core,UBD.Present as the guest of honour for the ceremonywas Yang Mulia Hajah Normah Suria Hayatibinti Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja DatoSeri Utama (Dr.) Haji Awg Mohd Jamil al-Sufri,Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry andPrimary Resources.The opening ceremony included a welcomingaddress by the Chair of the Organsing Committee,Assistant Vice Chancellor, Dr. Hajah Anita BinurulZahrina binti POKLWDSS HajI Awang AbdulAziz. The ceremony also included an overviewbackground of the expedition presented byProfessor Dato Haji Mohamed bin Haji Abdul Majid,head of the expedition.The Bukit Pagon expedition marked a majormilestone for ecological studies in Brunei byproviding the first inventory of flora and fauna ofa montane heath forest, a rare and threatenedforest type. As part of Brunei’s commitmenttowards biodiversity conservation efforts, the Bruneigovernment has committed 58 percent of Brunei’stotal land area to the Heart of Borneo (HoB)initiative and Project Implementation Framework,and has also commited to optimising the use ofland and forest resources through research anddevelopment activities, protection, education andtraining.The expedition has played a vital role in providingscientific data essential for making informeddecisions with regards to the protection ofbiodiversity, conservation of natural resources andsustainable development. This study has generatedcrucial data to help the authorities manage thelong-term protection and conservation of BukitPagon under the Brunei HoB initiative, and tohighlight the endemism of flora and fauna at BukitPagon.Highlights from the expedition included thepossible discovery of a new species of an aroidand a new species of caecilian, new records ofplant and animal species that previously were onlyfound in lowland dipterocarp forests of Brunei, aswell as records of endemic plants and animals.Participating in this expedition were scientists andgraduate students representing several of theworld’s top universities from the iCUBE, as well asfrom Yale University and Old Dominion Universityfrom the United States, in addition to colleaguesfrom the Forestry Department locally. Theparticipation of several graduate students ensurescapacity building and training of the youngergeneration.Saerom Han of Korea University and Lee Jo Kien of MonashUniversity recording light measurements in a forest gapKate Baker of Kings’ College London examining macroinvertebratespecimens from a study stream at Bukit Pagon

30DiscoverRESEARCHDiscoverRESEARCH31Creative Industries Research Clusteruses nature for artLed by Awg Khalid bin Othman, four membersfrom Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) CreativeIndustry Research Cluster (CIRC), and nineresearch assistants, among them students from theArt and Creative technology programme at UBDhave started the first phase of a research studyentitled “Aesthetic in Nature – Concept to Reality.”The study is being conducted by the CIRC,and aims to use sketches, photographya andvideography, to support a 3D animation shortmovie production. Unique species of flora andfauna are gathered on-site at the Kuala BelalongField Studies Centre through visual documentationto create a database.The structure of the species have been analysed,and stylised to come out with motifs and patternsthat can be used in design products such astraditional crafts, textile, batik, wood carvings andapplied art and fine artworks.Art Exhibition at JIS Arts Centre and UBDStudent Centre basis for community artresearchActivities for the Transcending Culture and Space: A Community Art Project, sponsored by the U.S.Embassy in Brunei Darussalam through the Overseas Federal Assistance Award and co-sponsored byUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Pusat Belia Bandar Seri Begawan (Youth Centre) and JerudongInternational School (JIS), have included mural painting workshops, a travelling multimedia art installationand public gallery talks. Together, these events are estimated to have reached 2000 people.There were two phases to the travelling multimedia art installation, with the first running in Septemberand the second in October. During the first phase, the multimedia art exhibition provided a showcasefor introducing the artistic talents of two American artists and teaching faculty from the Art and CreativeTechnology programme of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS), UBD, Dr. Martie Geiger-Ho andAssociate Professor Kong Ho.The second phase of the exhibition will run from 8 to 20 October at the UBD Student Centre, whose galleryhours are 8am to 5pm, Mondays through Thursdays and Saturday. This community art project aims toencompass the most updated concepts about community art through the social inclusion of Bruneiansfrom all walks of life. This inclusion is illustrated in the types of participants that have worked on the mural,who come from diverse age groups, socio-economic stratas and various ability backgrounds. By beinginclusive, the project supports the objective of adding to the foundation of social enrichment that isbeing used to help Bruneian society to build a strong and vibrant community that counts art and otherart supporting facets of the creative industries as part of its infrastructure.AP Kong Ho and Dr. Geiger-Ho intend to co-write a paper based on this community art project in BruneiDarussalam and to present it at an arts and social sciences related international conference.BruneiTrails.com steps onlineIt seems no matter where you are in the world,just finding the parking lot for a recreationaltrail, let alone the trailhead, may be the mostdifficult aspect of any hike. This holds true even insmall countries like Brunei. A new website, www.bruneitrails.com, attempts to overcome thisdifficulty by making it easier for Bruneians and theirinternational guests to reach the many parks andpreserves generously dispersed throughout thecountry. Winding through most if not all of theselandmarks are hiking and walking trails surroundedby incomparable natural beauty and culturalheritage.Dr. Ken Whalen, lecturer in the geographyprogramme in the Faculty of Arts and SocialSciences (FASS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)came up with the idea of creating a websitethat offers a “photo-guide” to most trails in thecountry. The guide aims to be simple and directwhile privileging the visual field of the motorist.Photographs of park entrances, signposts andsignificant landscape features direct visitors to thevarious trails. Maps which display a bird’s eye viewof roadways and places are also available on thewebsite. Together these resources make it easierfor hikers and walkers to reach a trail’s startingpoint. The website does include a few trail maps,though their quality is somewhat uneven since theycome from various sources. Only brief descriptionsof each trail are offered so as not to excessivelycolour an individual’s experience.Students and faculty continue to support thedevelopment of the project, which receivesgenerous funding from UBD. An initial step in theprocess of building the website was to design alogo that would adequately represent Brunei’s trailenvironments and visual culture. For this, a studentcompetition was announced, and a numberof well-crafted entries were received. Facultymembers participated in selecting the winninglogo which was designed by Dyg Noor Aziemahbte Awg Ahmad. Although her original logo wasrevised, its design elements influenced the overalllook of the front page. Members of the BruneiNature Society were also involved in shaping thevirtual landscape and have suggested ways thewebsite might become a forum for dialogue inwhich ideas and initiatives can evolve and lateremerge in the palpable landscape.This semester three undergraduate students fromthe geography programme will be working withDr. Whalen to describe the remaining trails. Theywill be visiting the trails, taking photographs,searching for trail maps, writing about their trailexperiences, and, of course, partaking in a bit ofbush whacking. “We don’t mind,” was the generalsentiment though accompanied with nervousgiggles. Participants hope the website will nurtureappreciation for outdoor recreation and exercise,natural and cultural heritage, and a peripateticsense of place. Some see it as one of the first stepson the journey towards developing a national trailsystem in Brunei.

32DiscoverRESEARCHDiscoverRESEARCH33Transfiguration of Space: Paintings,Photographs and Digital Art InstallationTransfiguration of Space: Paintings, Photographs and Digital Art Installation by Associate Professor KongHo, a multimedia practice-based art research project, explored new sensory experiences mingled withmemories of the familiar. AP Kong Ho, who is the programme leader of the Art and Creative Technology(ACT) programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), ledthe project. The exhibition was held at the National Institute of Education (NIE) Art Gallery of NanyangTechnological University (NTU) in Singapore from 11 May to 1 June. Professor Lee Sing Kong, director ofNational Institute of Education, was the guest of honour for AP Kong Ho’s 13th solo art exhibition.Over sixty-two recent artworks were exhibited, including 15 paintings, 14 digital art prints and 30 digitalphotographs. A 25 sq. meter collaborative chalk drawing floor-mural assisted by NIE art educationstudents was displayed in the main gallery. A digital video installation, composed of 3 individual videos,was showcased in the smaller gallery, and was linked to the artworks in the main gallery.The whole exhibition was divided in two parts, Timeless Moments and Spaceless Places, and the mainconcept behind AP Kong Ho’s recent body of work was the experience of transition and spiritual wondersof the natural world. His recent artwork carried images of forms of floral-based swirling semi-abstractdigital art, digital-merged panoramic landscape photos, symbolic spiral paintings with spiritually upliftingcolours, and a photographic-essay video installation.The art exhibition is part of AP Kong Ho’s ongoing studio-based research in art granted by UBD andpartially sponsored by the NIE Art Gallery. In addition to the exhibition, AP Kong Ho led a one-daycollaborative chalk drawing floor-mural workshop with 30 NIE art education diploma students before theexhibition opening and gave a presentation on mural painting.AP Kong Ho intends to write a paper based on his art practice and to present it at a visual art relatedinternational conference. He is working on a journal manuscript about his art and the workshop that heoffered to the students of NIE.Research collaboration between UBD andNew York Botanical Garden (NYBG)Dr. Douglas C. Daly (NYBG) and Dr. FaizahMetali (UBD)A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) betweenUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the NewYork Botanical Garden (NYBG) was officially signedin New York on 14 November 2011 to facilitateresearch collaborations and students and stafftraining in the areas of biodiversity and theenvironment.The visit made by two renowned scientists fromNYBG, Dr. Douglas C. Daly, Director of the Instituteof Systematic Botany and Dr. John D. Mitchell,Honorary Curator, to Brunei Darussalam and UBDfrom 28 June to 5 July 2012 marked the beginningof a joint research collaboration between thetwo partner institutions. After NYBG hosted officialvisits by UBD delegations on their home grounds,they were pleased to be able to pay a returnvisit. Their stay in Brunei Darussalam aimed toadvance and materialise the collaborativerelationship between the two institutions, and toconduct part of a long-term, pantropical researchproject, entitled “Phylogeny, Diversification, andEvolutionary Trajectories in the Anacardiaceaeand Burseraceae.”During the trip, Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Daly werehosted by Dr. Faizah Hj Metali and other facultymembers from the Faculty of Science and theKuala Belalong Field Studies Centre. Two third-yearUBD students, Dyg Shamira Hj Matali and Dyg SitiAnisah Hj Yussof were also on hand as researchassistants.The fieldwork at the KBFSC was assisted byAwg Muhammad Salleh Abdullah Bat, DeputySupervisor of the KBFSC who specialises in mixeddipterocarp forests. The UBD-NYBG team alsoworked with two brothers from an Iban communityin Batang Duri, Jimmy and Sahelly.The two tree families studied during the trip areimportant ecologically and often economicallyin tropical forests around the globes. TheAnacardiaceae include various species of mangoand other delicious fruits, as well as the dreadedrengas trees (Gluta spp.) that can cause severedermatitis; while the Burseraceae with edible fruitsare best known in Southeast Asia as kedondong,kembayau, dabai, and seladah. The regionaround and including Brunei is one of the diversityepicentres for both families and therefore anecessary focus for long-term efforts to decipherthe species and to understand how, where, andwhen these two ancient and closely relatedfamilies diversified and diverged in their evolution.The visit from the NYBG is expected to furtherstrengthen UBD’s research capacity in areas ofbiodiversity and the environment.

34DiscoverCONFERENCESDiscoverCONFERENCES35Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute ofEducation Links With ComparativeEducation Society Of Asia (CESA)UBD Attends The First Convention of TheWorld Association of Business Schools InIslamic Countries (WAiBS)The Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economicsand Policy Studies (FBEPS), Universiti BruneiDarussalam (UBD), Dr. Hazri Kifle and Deputy Dean,Dr. Hj Mohammad Nabil Almunawar attendedthe inaugural convention of the World Associationof Business Schools in Islamic Countries on 8 and9 July. The convention was held in Langkawi inMalaysia and was organised by the Othman YeopAbdullah (OYA) Graduate School of Business,Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).Following the convention was the Fifth Foundationof Islamic Finance Conference (FIFC), whichtook place on 10 and 11 July at the same venue.Presentations by keynote speakers and meetingsamong deans were held to discuss key issues andchallenges faced by the Muslim ummah and howbusiness schools can play a role in addressingSHBIE hosts 17th InternationalConference on Educationthem. A few strategic initiatives were alsoidentified in moving the association forward.Dr. Hazri noted that “the WAiBS convention andsubsequent meetings provided FBEPS with theopportunity to communicate and create anetwork with prestigious business schools in Islamiccountries. This will be a good platform for sharinginformation, knowledge, and best practices inbusiness educations. Common issues faced bythe Muslim ummah were discussed which canlead to potential research collaboration. Overall,WAiBS is a great plan and commitment from allmembers and a detailed action plan is crucial inensuring the high impact of this association.”From 21 to 24 May, the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE) hosted the 17th InternationalConference on Education with the theme “Teaching and Learning in Technology-Mediated LearningSpaces” at Chancellor Hall, UBD. The theme was in harmony with Brunei’s National Education Systemfor the 21st Century (SPN 21) objectives in emphasising the use of ICT to develop 21st century skills.The conference was a joint effort with Microsoft Partners in Learning and Innovative Teaching andLearning Research (ITL research) which has embarked on an innovation in education called the LEAP21 programme. The conference was officiated by Guest of Honour, Acting Minister of Education, YangMulia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yusof bin Haji Ismail.The keynote speakers included Associate Professor Dr. Esther Care, the International ResearchCoordinator, Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) at the Melbourne GraduateSchool of Education, Australia, Mr. Prakash Nair, president of Fielding Nair International, Mr. Mark Sparvell,Executive Consultant of ICT Capability and Innovation at Microsoft, Associate Professor Dr. MichaelMcVey, Educational Media and Technology at Eastern Michigan University and Mr. Samir Patel, GlobalSOF Consortium Principal Consultant of the e-Hijrah initiative.The papers presented in the conference focused on how computer technologies act as educationaltechnologies and educators were strongly encouraged to fully utilise computer technologies forinnovative teaching in order to deliver improved learning, as well as an assessment instrument inmeasuring leaners’ skills.The conference was attended by 200 local and international participants comprised of educators,researchers, graduates, teachers, students, education officers, architects and stakeholders from variouseducational institutions and other related institutions. It was a platform for all to share ideas based onexperiences, theories and research related to the theme of the conference. The next SHBIE InternationalConference on Education will take place in May 2013.Dr. Hajah Sallimah Haji Mohd. Salleh and Dr. HajahRosmawijah Haji Jawawi from the Sultan HassanalBolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE), Universiti BruneiDarussalam (UBD) attended the ComparativeEducation Society of Asia (CESA) boardmeeting and the 8th Biennial Conference of theComparative Education Society of Asia (CESA) on 8to 11 July. Dr. Hajah Sallimah and Dr. Hj Rosmawijahare research collaborators for the “ComparativeStudy on Education for ASEANness and CitizenshipEducation in Ten ASEAN Countries,” a collaborativeresearch project funded by the Japan Society forthe Promotion of Science (JSPS). It is a four-yearproject which runs from April 2010 to March 2014. Itis funded by an agency called “Kagaku-Kenkyu-Hi,Kaken-Hi,” in Japanese, which translates as Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) in English.The collaborative study is the first attempt atcomparative research on citizenship educationat the ASEAN regional level, and it will provideimportant perspectives in terms of internationalcomparisons with other regions such as the EU.The purpose of the study is threefold: to elucidatethe present situation, issues, and prospects ofcitizenship education in the 10 ASEAN countries bymeans of policy, planning, and curriculum analysis,together with a survey of awareness of studentsconcerning citizenship, and a future forecastingsurvey (Delphi Survey) to experts on education, toelucidate education for “ASEANness”, conceivedas part of the creation of the ASEAN Community tobe established by 2015, and to propose citizenshipeducation models for the ASEAN countries and amodel of education for “ASEANness.”CESA is an international organization of comparativeeducation societies in Asia. It is a member societyof the World Council of Comparative EducationSocieties (WCCES) which was established in 1970.CESA was officially founded in Hong Kong on 30May 1995 and was admitted to WCCES in 1997.The goals of CESA which were proclaimed inits constitution are to promote exchange andcooperation in comparative education researchamong educationalists in Asia, to promoteexchange and cooperation in the teaching ofcomparative education Asia, to promote mutualunderstanding and friendship among educationistsin Asia and to enhance international dialogue andexchange among scholars interested in Asia.The conference was a gathering of prominentcomparative educators around the world includingProfessor Mark Bray, Professor Lee Wing On (thecurrent president of WCCES), Professor Gerald W.Fry from the University of Minnesota, and ProfessorDavid Lee Grossman, from the East-West Center.There were more than two hundred and fifty paperpresenters from over twenty countries consistingof foreign and local educators including a paperpresented by the Bruneian participants.The participants of the conference also witnessedthe ceremony for the acknowledgement ofHonorary Membership of Her Royal HighnessPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The HonoraryMembership was bestowed on the princess inrecognition of her contribution to comparativeeducation, international education, andinternational development education.It was an important step for SHBIE to be associatedwith CESA as it has vital links for internationalcollaboration and cooperation such WCCES. SHBIEhas since been offered the opportunity to hostthe 10th Biennial Conference on ComparativeEducation in 2016.