Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP) and Shell Exploration and Production International Sdn Bhd (Shell EP) pledged $1.5 million each year from 2008 until 2011 to help boost Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) in its effort to develop a faculty in petroleum and chemical degree programme.
The pledge was announced during a Dinner for Best ITB Students Awards 2009 on Saturday night at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.
ITB Vice Chancellor, Dr Haji Omar bin Haji Khalid, told the Bulletin that the $1.5 million contribution will go towards acquiring expensive equipment and funding other matters. He said it is an expensive faculty to develop, and government money will form the major part of its financing.
He said ITB is accepting 20 students in the first intake - 10 in chemical and 10 in petroleum engineering - where the students will spend a year in Brunei and the rest of programme period in the University of New South Wales in the United Kingdom, which is one of the top universities in chemical engineering.
He said ITB aspires to offer more degree programmes in the years ahead if such a move is possible and necessary. He added that ITB aspires to be a research institute rather than just an academic one in the future.
Meanwhile, he lauded BSP and Shell EP contributions. He conveyed the institute's appreciation for their support and hoped that the link and collaboration between ITB and the two companies will go from strength to strength.
The contributions reflected the commitment of the two companies, BSP and Shell EP, to reinforce the nation's engineering sector through higher or tertiary education.
BSP Sdn Bhd contributed $750,000 for research and development, whereas Shell EP contributed $750,000 for the establishment of engineering faculty to assist industrial development in the country, especially in the energy, oil and gas sectors.
A cheque for $1.5 million was handed by Awang Haji Zainal Abidin bin Haji Mohd Ali, Deputy Managing Director of the BSP, representing BSP and Shell EP, to Dr Hj Omar bin Hj Khalid, Vice Chancellor of ITB. The handing over was witnessed by Pengiran Dato Seria Setia Dr Hj Mohammad bin Pg Hj Abd Rahman, Deputy Minister of Education, who was present as the guest of honour.
In his speech during the awards night, the ITB Vice Chancellor told the new ITB graduates that following graduation, they are likely to consider their first career opportunity after years of study. However, there is still more to learn about how to land their first job, he said. And one of the most important lessons is learning how to sell themselves.
He also urged the new graduates to try establishing contacts with professionals already working in the field, because any contact could be helpful.
"When attending social events for professionals in your field, you want to be sure to bring an up-to-date, well-crafted resume. Use online and academic resources to help you choose the right format and tone. Choose carefully your resume as the main vehicle you will use to present yourself to potential employers, so details are important.
"Most of you would be assuming that your life as a student will end here and you will continue a lifetime of full employment. The nature of the world today, where technology changes rapidly and knowledge expands at an exponential rate means that what you learn in the last two years will quickly be outdated in the next three to five years.
"I hope your time spent at ITB will prepare you for a lifelong learning."
The students awards were sponsored by Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council, HSBC Bank, KPMG, Baiduri Bank, BSP, Syarikat Kejuteraan Sistematik, Goldmyne Hardware, Petrokon Utama, Total E&P Borneo BV, BAG Networks, DST, PUJA, JBU-DLS, Hanafi Konsaltan, Brunei Liquified Natural Gas Sdn Bhd, Anati Trading, FOLEC Communication and Islamic Quran Readers Association (IQRA).
Source : Article from Borneo Bulletin. Published on Monday May, 18 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment