Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD; Jawi: يونيبرسيتي بروني دارالسلام) is a national research university located in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was established in 1985 and has since become the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered.
Universiti Brunei Darussalam (Malay) | |
Latin: Universitas Bruneiensis | |
Other name | يونيبرسيتي بروني دارالسلام |
---|---|
Motto | Ke Arah Kesempurnaan Insan |
Motto in English | Towards Human Perfection |
Type | National university |
Established | 1985 |
Founder | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah |
Academic affiliation | ASAIHL, AUN, EM, FUIW, iCUBE and UMAP |
Chairperson | Romaizah Mohd Salleh |
Chancellor | Hassanal Bolkiah |
Vice-Chancellor | Hazri Kifle |
Pro-Chancellor | Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah |
Students | 3,137 (2015) |
Undergraduates | 84% (2015) |
Postgraduates | 16% (2015) |
Location | , Brunei Muara , |
Campus | Rimba, Gadong |
Language | English, Malay |
Colors | Blue, green, red, yellow |
Website | www |
UBD is ranked 86th in Asia by the 2020 QS Asia University Rankings[1] , and 254th in the world by the 2021 QS World University Rankings.[2]
Background
History
UBD was established in 1985, opening its doors to the first intake of 176 students. Since then, UBD has seen an increase in the number of graduates, the introduction of new academic programmes, the enhancement of infrastructure and the development of graduate studies.
The university moved to its current location, Tungku Link, in 1995. There are nine academic faculties and seven research institutes covering the fields of Science, Health Sciences, Asian Studies, Policy Studies, Education, Business, Engineering, Biodiversity, Advanced Materials & Energy Sciences, Advanced Research, Applied Data Analytics, Islamic Studies, Leadership, Innovation & Advancement.
International students
UBD opened its doors to international students from its inception.[3] Over the years, there has been an increase in diversity, with many students coming from East Asia (China and Japan), Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Today, UBD offers a range of programmes to enhance international relations, such as the Brunei-US Enrichment Programme for ASEAN[4] and the Discovery Year programme, which encourages students to go abroad during the third year of their undergraduate programme.[5]
Academics
Admissions to UBD are extremely competitive. Brunei had only four large universities that offer undergraduate and graduate studies; two of them are religious universities. Local applicants could only apply through the online service known as HECAS (Higher Education Centralised Admission System) where representatives of Ministry of Education and local universities pick only qualified students that meet the requirements of points of specific exams such as General Cambridge Education A-Level Examinations.
Faculties and institutes
- School of Digital Science (SDS)
- Academy of Brunei Studies (APB)
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
- UBD School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE)
- Faculty of Science (FOS)
- Faculty of Integrated Technologies (FIT)
- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE)
- PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS)
- Institute of Asian Studies (IAS)
- Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA)
- Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
- SOAS Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS)
- e-Government Innovation Centre (eGInC)
- UBD|IBM Centre
- Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER)
- Centre for Advanced Material and Energy Sciences (CAMES)
- Centre for Advance Research (CARe)
- Language Centre (LC)
- Centre for Lifelong Learning (C3L)
Undergraduate
UBD currently offers five undergraduate degree programmes:
- Bachelor of Digital Science (BDSc)
- Bachelor of Business and Economic
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Health Science
- Bachelor of Arts and Social Science
- Bachelor of Engineering
Graduate Study
UBD offers graduate degrees (Masters by coursework or by research and PhD) in the following disciplines:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Robotics
- Data Science
- Cybersecurity
- Islamic Civilisation and Contemporary Issues
- Islamic Banking and Finance
- Education
- Energy Studies
- Computing and New Media
- Crop Science
- Primary Health Care
- Brunei Studies
- Malay Language and Linguistics
- Art, Professional Communication and Media
- Asian Studies
MRCGP (International)
The MRCGP (International) examinations were first established in the Institute of Medicine in 2005 after Brunei Darussalam was awarded host body status by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), UK. Membership of the RCGP has long been established and recognized as the standard assessment for family doctors. Brunei Darussalam is the first host examining body in the region and has successfully conducted the exams since 2005.
University Mosque
Construction on the University Mosque (Masjid Universiti) began in 1992 on a site of two hectares of land, and was completed in 1994, with a total cost of BND $7,600,000. The mosque was officially opened in 1995 by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. It has a capacity of 1800.[6] The mosque is mainly used for religious activities carried out by the university and it also serves daily prayers for the Muslims students and the surrounding locals.
International rankings
University rankings | |
---|---|
Global – Overall | |
QS World[7] | 323 |
Regional – Overall | |
QS Asia[8] | 100 |
In 2020 UBD has climbed to 254 in the world rankings, another achievement for the university.
Vice-chancellors
Vice-Chancellors | Term in Office |
---|---|
1 Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Begawan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Seri Paduka Haji Umar[9] | 1985-1986 |
2 Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib[10] | 1986-1988 |
3 Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz bin Begawan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Seri Paduka Haji Umar[9] | 1989-1990 |
4 Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong[11][9] | 1991-1998 |
5 Dato Paduka Seri Setia Professor Dr. Haji Mahmud Saedon bin Othman[12] | 1999-2002 |
6 Dato Paduka Dr. Haji Ismail bin Haji Duraman | 2003-2008 |
7 Dato Seri Setia Dr. Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi | 2008-2015 |
8 Datin Dr. Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Aziz | 2015–2022 |
9 Doctor Hazri bin Haji Kifle | 2022-present |
Partner institutions
Malaysia
Indonesia
Vietnam
Notable alumni
- Professor Dr. Hj. Awang Asbol bin Hj. Mail, Professor in History and International Studies and Academy of Brunei Studies
- Professor Ampuan Dr. Haji Brahim Bin Ampuan Haji Tengah, Professor in Academy of Brunei Studies
- Princess Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah
- Princess Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah
- Princess Masna Bolkiah
- Crown Princess Sarah[14]
- Prince Abdul Malik
- Adee Suhardee Muhidin, Brunei national football team player and Brunei Super League's football club manager.
- Khairunnisa Ash'ari, Ex-Brunei Legislative Council
- Ahmaddin Abdul Rahman, Minister of Home Affairs
- Hamzah Sulaiman, Minister of Education[15]
- Abdul Aziz Mohd Tamit, Commander of Royal Brunei Navy
- Jaspar Yu Woon Chai, National badminton player[16]
References
- "QS Asia University Rankings Results 2020". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- "QS World University Rankings Results 2021". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- "International Students of Universiti Brunei Darussalam". 21 December 2021.
- "Brunei-US enrichment programme for ASEAN".
- "Discovery Year programme". Archived from the original on 2015-06-29.
- Ministry of Religious Affairs of Brunei Darussalam. "Universiti Brunei Darussalam's Mosque". Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- "QS World University Rankings 2019". 7 June 2018.
- "QS University Rankings: Asia 2019". 30 November 2018.
- "UBD People". 2016.
- "bruneiresources". www.bruneiresources.com.
- "Pelantikan Menteri-Menteri Kabinet dan Timbalan-Timbalan Menteri" (PDF). Pelita Brunei. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- Nordin, Ismail and Mail, Asbol (2005). Dato Paduka Seri Setia Professor Dr. Haji Awang Mahmud Saedon bin Awang Othman Dalam Kenangan: Essays in Memory of Vice-Chancellor,UBD,1999-2002. Bandar Seri Begawan: Universiti Brunei Darussalam. p. 6. ISBN 99917-1-170-8.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - "University Partners - Division of Community and International Networking". Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman(UTAR). Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- "Princess Sarah gets First Class Honours". Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- "Dato Hamzah Sulaiman" (PDF). Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
- "Cover Story – Brunei's Olympians". YES Inspire | Magazines. 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2023-08-15.