ONE of the biggest events in Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) academic calendar kicked off with the launch of the annual “Pesta Konvo” yesterday morning at the university’s new infrastructure located on its campus along Tungku Link.

With the launch of this year’s festivities by His Royal Highness Prince (Dr) Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Pro-Chancellor of UBD, at the Integrated Sciences Building, the university has set in motion a series of events that will include the participation of hundreds of its students and their families.

This year, riding on the wave of Brunei’s 2014 National Day theme ‘Youths with Vision’, the Pesta Konvo will focus on the university’s role in the nation as a focal point for youths to gather and work towards their own visions for the future.

Among the activities in the run-up to the 26th Convocation Ceremony on September 26 include a Khatam Al-Quran and Doa Kesyukuran ceremony to bless the graduating students and their future endeavours, a blood donation drive, the UBD Green Run fundraising event to raise environmental awareness and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, as well as the Graduate Festival akin to Family Day catered to the general public.

During yesterday’s launch, His Royal Highness consented to tour the two-floor exhibition managed by UBD’s Student Association (PMUBD).

Among them was the introduction of the university’s new mobile application that features a three-dimensional virtual map of the university to assist students, especially first years, in navigating the university’s expansive campus.

Over the coming month, those who venture to the site, located opposite UBD’s The Core, will find themselves witnessing displays of new technologies courtesy of the Faculty of Science, which includes a virtual museum as well as students’ research projects on topics such as cancer biomarkers, biodiversity preservation and Halal biotechnology.

Also on display are the Entrepreneurship Village and the Gild Siswazah that represents the timeline of UBD as an organisation and, in general, serves as a means to look back, reflect and work towards a better future, as stated by the university in a press release.

On the sidelines of the Pesta Konvo as well, international students will be provided with the opportunity to better know the traditions of their second home by participating in locally-inspired activities such as kite flying and ‘gulin-tangan’ playing.

As part of the highlights, international students are also scheduled to collaborate with PMUBD and the Student Affairs Office for what will be known as International Day carrying the theme “Peace for One Day”. - Borneo Bulletin (17 August 2014)