Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Xiamen University, China inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to reaffirm their academic collaboration in a MOU signing ceremony held at the Simpur Herbal Café on UBD campus on 12 June 2023. Signing on behalf of UBD was its Vice Chancellor Dr. Hazri bin Haji Kifle and on behalf of Xiamen University was its President, Professor Zhang Zhongyi. Present to witness the ceremony was His Excellency Dr. Xiao Jianguo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Designate) of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam. Also in attendance were diplomatic officials and UBD and Xiamen University senior management and principal officers.
In his welcoming remarks, UBD Vice Chancellor Dr. Hazri bin Haji Kifle shared,
“I am pleased to share on the importance of strengthening the collaboration between our universities, and discuss the ways in which we can mutually benefit from each other’s strength and academic interests.
Firstly, our cooperation can be catered towards increasing student mobility programmes.
Secondly, our collaboration can target faculty academia. We can work towards organising faculty exchange programs, joint conferences, and workshops. These academic events will help foster research collaboration and establish joint research projects.
Thirdly, with the advent of technology, we can utilise the webinars and online learning to work with Xiamen University, and organize global events and webinars for both the students and the faculty. UBD is currently developing our Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programme which we would like to invite Xiamen University academics to collaborate because COIL will enable us to gain access to a larger global audience, and we can cater to a broader community on a global level through our collaborative curriculum and pedagogies.”
Since UBD and Xiamen University first inked a MOU in 2012, the two universities have worked in tandem in furthering academic and research collaboration. In research, UBD’s Catalysis Research Group is currently working with Xiamen University’s State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces. Catalysis is the key technology in the oil and gas downstream industries and UBD’s Catalysis Research Group aims for new innovative technologies and catalyst products for the development of oil and gas downstream industries in Brunei.
In student mobility, UBD sends its Discovery Year students for their Study Abroad Programme for one semester at Xiamen University in various fields from applied physics and geology to business administration. UBD’s Discovery Year is the credit-bearing year out of the university where UBD undergraduates spend their third year engaged in experiential learning activities, and then return to UBD to complete their fourth and final year of their Bachelor’s degree. Xiamen University has also sent UBD students for its popular Global Discovery Programme (GDP) or ‘summer programme’ including for the GDP Global Leadership Summer School and GDP Discover Brunei Course.
Xiamen University is ranked within the Top 500 universities in the world in both the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings. In Asia, the university is ranked number 84th and 76th best university in the latest THE and QS Asia University Rankings.
Following the MOU signing, the Xiamen University delegation toured UBD’s Botanical Research Centre (UBD BRC), guided by UBD’s Director of Institute for Biodiversity and Enviromental Research (IBER) Dr. Norhayati binti Hj Ahmad. The Xiamen University delegates were briefed on the research and education activities conducted under UBD BRC and the various living collections housed in the garden were highlighted.
[End of Press Release]