8DiscoverNEWSFirst Cohort of Brunei-U.S. English Language Enrichment Project For Asean ArrivesThe first cohort of the 11-week English Language Programme started their studies at UBD on 24 September 2012. This programme is one of the main components of the Brunei-U.S. English Language Enrichment Project for ASEAN, which was officially inaugurated by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on 7 September 2012. As the executive agency for the project in Brunei Darussalam, UBD welcomed 59 English teacher trainers and officers and diplomats from 9 ASEAN countries, including Brunei Darussalam. The programme aims to raise the participants’ level of English and strengthen the English teaching capacity in the countries concerned, which in the long run will help to integrate the ASEAN community. In UBD, the participants were enrolled in English for Specific Purposes modules tailored to their specific needs as English teacher trainers or government officials. In addition, they also took specialised modules such as Materials Design and Development, New Media Literacies and People and Cultures of ASEAN.Apart from attending lectures, the participants also had the opportunity to have a sharing session with the U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, His Excellency Mr David Carden, on 16 October 2012. Among other issues discussed in the session were the possibilities of building and supporting ASEAN identity and ASEAN community as a means to solve common problems in ASEAN countries. The participants were also taken on a number of educational and cultural visits such as to the oil and gas industries in Kuala Belait and on an overnight home stay at a longhouse in Kampong Amo in the Temburong District. They were also engaged in several ASEAN integration activities including an ASEAN potluck in their final week in Brunei Darussalam. On 11 November 2012, the participants left Brunei Darussalam to continue with the remaining 4weeks of theprogramme at the East-West Center in Hawaii, UBD’s strategic partner in this Brunei-U.S. Project. With the success of the first cohort, UBD hopes to enroll up to 70 participants in the programme for next year.
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