UBD, Queensland University reach milestones in twinning scheme
By Maya Salleh

Students of various programmes pose in a group photo with the Director of HRD Services

Third year students exchange stories and ideas on accommodation in Brisbane

Third year students at the University of Queensland

Cessrina and Nurul both entered the programme through the Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree. Cessrina has graduated with her Biomedical Science degree while Nurul will be graduating this year

Twinning programmes arranged between the Universiti Brunei Darussalam and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia reached yet another milestone as the Director of HRD Services recently hosted a blessing ceremony/reception for the students undertaking the UBD/UQ twinning programme and other students studying in Brisbane.

This was reported in a statement released by HRD Services, where it also announced that of the 14 students who entered the UBD/UQ Biomedical Science programme in March 2001, all have successfully graduated from the degree programme and have been accepted into the prestigious UQ Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme. In addition, the first group of Accountancy students who continued at UQ after completing part of the programme at UBD has also graduated.

There are some 60 students undergoing the Biomedical Science course and 15 students undergoing the Bachelor of Commerce programme.

HRD Services is a locally owned education consultancy service, which facilitates the establishment of the programmes. Universiti Brunei Darussalam and University of Queensland signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1997 from which joint programmes have resulted in Biomedical Science and Accountancy.

The medicine programme at UQ is a graduate entry - a degree is one of the requirements for eligibility. A special and unique arrangement was set up such that Brunei students can enter the MBBS programme at UQ through the Biomedical Science programme.

The link with UQ extended to RIPAS as it was designated a UQ Teaching Hospital in 2000. It regularly received groups of UQ medical students who undertake some of their clinical rotations in Brunei. The Shell hospital in Panaga also started to receive students in 2003. The rotation in Brunei has proved to be a highly coveted option for the Australian students.

Prominent UQ lecturers regularly visit Brunei where they deliver some of the lectures at UBD and provide support to the RIPAS doctors involved with the medical students on clinical rotations.

This has created wider opportunities including research collaborations but more importantly provides UQ lecturers excellent insights into the type of background Brunei students come from. This also gives students and UQ lecturers to get to know each other.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin