By Lyna Mohamad
His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at Prime Minister's Office and Pro-Chancellor of UBD consented to officiate the launch of the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), yesterday at the university's Chancellor's Hall. HRH was accompanied by HRH Prince 'Abdul Malik and HRH Princess Hajah Masna.
HRH was greeted on arrival by the Minister of Education, Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Abd Rahman, his Deputy, Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr. Hj Mohammad as well as the Vice Chancellor of UBD, Dato Dr. Hj Awg Ismail.
During the event, the Crown Prince also consented to present long service awards to more than 20 personnel of UBD for their 20 years of service.
Established on 28 October 1985, six months after the announcement by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for Brunei to have a university of its own, UBD has provided access to Brunei through excellence in higher learning for the past 20 years.
In the welcoming speech by the UBD Vice-Chancellor, he noted that the development of UBD since its establishment "was full of challenges and every time went through several changes, which is common and unavoidable in its hopes to become an institution that implements its function as mandated in its principals".
"These challenges," he added, "do not only come internally in the form of technical, logistic, human resources, administration and finance but also external challenges that were beyond control such as the globalisation process and world economic crisis."
To date, UBD has produced some 8,000 graduates since its first convocation in 1989 with one of them - an International student from Thailand - holding the University's first PhD (PhD in Mathematics Education).
Yesterday's event was followed with an exhibition of the university's achievements during the past 20 years put up at the lobby of the Chancellor Hall, which HRH consented to view after the launching of the 20th Anniversary celebrations.
Convocation materials, publications, historical artefacts, archived documents and many more items were showcased at the exhibition, which is open to the public starting today.
Several activities have been lined up throughout the year to mark the 20th anniversary celebration including a number of workshops, forums, conferences and seminars.
Academic activities lined-up include the National Symposium on Language and Teaching, Mini Medical School, the International Conference on Mathematic Modelling and Computing 2006, International Forum on Disaster Relief and many more.
Social activities within the university meanwhile include a Bahasa Arab Month, Study at UBD, Sports Day between UBD staff and students, Institute of Medicine Health Road Show and a Library Exhibition.
- Borneo Bulletin
(15th Jan 2006)
