UBD Seeks To Become Top University In Region
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim

Bandar Seri Begawan - Towards achieving its goal of becoming one of the best quality universities in the Asean region and beyond, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) has revised its vision and mission statements and formulated new strategic plans in that direction.

The university's new vision - "A First Class University, A Distinctive Local Identity" - was unveiled yesterday at a ceremony to launch UBD's Strategic Plan, which provides a framework of strategic actions to achieve certain fundamental changes and priorities in the university.

The central thrust of the plan is the production of marketable and quality graduates with diverse knowledge, skills and competencies, by providing more diversified and quality academic programs and services. The provision of valued professional research, consultancy and community services is another focus of the plans.

The Vice Chancellor of UBD, Dato Paduka Dr Ismail Duraman, who officiated yesterday's launching, emphasised the need for a fundamental change in the delivery of higher education services and the importance of establishing stronger relationships with key stakeholders. "Otherwise, the university will lose its legitimacy and continuing support from key stakeholders in the community," said Dato Dr Ismail.

He also pointed out new strategies are necessary due to the rapidly changing and complex political, economic, social and technological environment, along with the transformation in the role and function of higher education which is becoming increasingly competitive.

The strategic plan, covering a span of 10 years from 2006 to 2015, also reviewed and clarified the institution's mission.

Teaching is no longer stated as UBD's primary mission, with the development of the individual and society as a whole, and the creation of a conducive environment for achieving excellence in teaching, learning, research, scholarship, public service and professional services being emphasised instead.

The head of the university's Strategic Management Unit (SMU), Dr Chee Kim Loy, in a presentation to explain the plan in further detail, said that implementation had already begun prior to yesterday's launch. The first phase of implementation, initiated early this year, is still ongoing, with the next two phases to embark in the academic years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

In the first phase, SMU has conducted surveys of new graduates and first year students to discover how and whether or not the needs and outcomes of academic programs meet the national human resource requirements.

Dr Chee added that to live up to the new vision of becoming one of the region's top universities, preparations have already been put in place to make UBD eligible to receive the Asean University Network (AUN) Quality Assurance accreditation by 2009.

The SMU head also pointed out several differences between the current and past UBD visions. Among the more prominent is the university's new direction towards being more of a result and performance-orientated institution.

Traditionally, the administrative style is geared heavily towards the bureaucratic, with strong emphasis on rules and procedures. Another difference is the decrease in emphasis on education services programme and more of diversified academic and professional ones.

The university also hopes to remedy its fragmented academic programmes by creating an integrated e-campus environment with strong interfaculty and international collaborations.

The launch of the university's new strategic plans was followed by a one-day workshop on leadership and management development for academic and administrative heads.

Apart from providing a forum for open discussion and the exchange and sharing of skills and knowledge, the workshop is also one of elements under the strategic plan. It was attended by about 50 UBD principal officers, faculty administrative officers, heads of departments and faculty coordinators.

UBD was established in 1985, a year after independence, with an initial intake of just 176 students.

In the two decades since, the university has grown to include more than 300 academic staff, both local and expatriate, and 2,800 local and foreign students in seven faculties: the Faculty of Arts and Social, Sciences, the Faculty of Business, Economics and Policies Studies, the Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Institute of Islamic Studies, the Faculty of Science, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Academy of Brunei Studies and Institute of Medicine. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with