Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) has step into another new milestone today by opening the new Eco Marathon Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Lab, unveiling the Pahlawan III race vehicle, and adopting the first school under the UTB’s Bridging for the Hopes of Tomorrow (BRIGHT): Adoption of School Programme.

The opening of the Eco Marathon STI Lab was officiated by the Guest of Honour, Professor Dr Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman, the Vice-Chancellor of UTB. The Lab is aimed at providing a physical base for UTB’s Shell Eco Marathon team to work on their prototype vehicles. The UTB Team Manager for Shell Eco Marathon Asia 2017, Ak Md Hakimmuddin bin Pg Hj Hassanuddin gave a welcoming remarks prior to the unveiling of Pahlawan III by the Guest of Honour.

Pahlawan III will compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia (SEMA) 2017 competition that will take place in Singapore from 16 to 19 March 2017. Pahlawan III is an improved and refined version of the Pahlawan II that competed in SEMA 2016 in Manila last year. The two vehicles were designed, developed and fabricated by the students themselves. This year, the UTB team comprises of five HND in Mechanical Engineering final year students and two third year BEng (Hons) in Mechatronic Engineering students. Participation in the competition provides an opportunity for them to apply the engineering knowledge and skills that they have acquired during their studies and develop valuable lifeskills such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication and applying creativity and innovation.

Shell Eco-Marathon is a unique competition that challenges students around the world to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient car. There are annual events in Asia, Americas and Europe. The competition is divided into two categories, the Prototype and the Urban Concept. The Prototype is for maximum efficiency vehicle with minimal size restrictions whereas for the Urban Concept is for hydrogen-electric vehicles made from low environmental impact materials with zero emission daily transportation. UTB will compete in the Prototype category.

At the same ceremony, UTB for the first time formally adopted the Sufri Bolkiah Secondary School under UTB’s Bridging for the Hopes of Tomorrow (BRIGHT): Adoption of School Programme for a period of two years. The Vice-Chancellor presented the certificate to the Principal of Sufri Bolkiah Secondary School, Cikgu Dayangku Hajah Norahizan binti Pengiran Haji Bungsu.

The BRIGHT programme was introduced as a community engagement strategic initiative to help build a strong science capital amongst secondary, and tertiary level teachers and students, and to develop a deeper understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in Brunei Darussalam.

Dr Sharina Yunus, Professional Advancement Coordinator at UTB as Coordinator of the BRIGHT programme explained that BRIGHT offers a structured pathway for UTB to work closely with students, and teachers from the selected schools. BRIGHT consists of five programmes: ‘Student Alumni Career Day’, where students will get the opportunity to meet graduates, and working professionals to attract the students and to expose them of career opportunities in the science and engineering field; ‘Masterclasses’, students will attend lectures, and participate in hands-on laboratory activities to test their problem-solving and working skills; ‘Student Mentors’, UTB students will assist and organise various related activities; ‘Science and Technology Club Support’, to support teachers in establishing Science and Technology Clubs, to inspire students to continue with science subjects and careers; and ‘Professional Workshop for Teachers’, science-based teachers will have the opportunity to work alongside leading scientists and engineers from academia and industry, and also to collaborate, plan, and share best practices in education with one another.

Two postgraduate students were awarded with full scholarship by Sesame World Technology (Brunei) Sendirian Berhad today in a scholarship award ceremony held at the Pearl, Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB). The letter of awards were presented by the Guest of Honour, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, Minister of Education, in the presence of Professor Dr. Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman, the Vice-Chancellor of UTB and Awang Yang Jian Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Sesame World Technology (B) Sdn Bhd.

The students were Dayang Nurulhidayati binti Haji Mohd Sani, a PhD student in the School of Computing and Informatics and Awang Muhammad Khairuddin bin Othman, Masters of Science by Research student in the Faculty of Engineering. The scholarship covers tuition fees, monthly subsistence allowance and other educational expenses.

At the scholarship award ceremony, the Minister of Education delivered a speech. Earlier, welcoming remarks were delivered by Jennifer Voon Nyuk Hiong, Director of Industry Liaison Office, UTB and Awang Yang Jian Feng, CEO of Sesame World Technology (B) Sdn Bhd.

Prior to the ceremony, the Minister of Education also officiated the opening of the UTB – Sesame World Technology Science, Technology and Innovation Lab before touring the facility and looking closely at some of the products under development in the Lab. The establishment of the Lab within the University’s campus is one of the deliverables in the strategic collaboration between UTB and Sesame World Technology, which is also supported by the Government of Brunei Darussalam through the Innovative Technology and Creative Industry Division, Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office. The Lab accommodates research and development facilities in the domain of directed sounds, digital media and artificial intelligence. Apart from engaging the two postgraduate students who received the scholarship, the Lab also engages other students from UTB as interns.

The close partnership that UTB is fostering with the industry is in line with its efforts to fulfill its mission in providing experiential learning with wide opportunities for industrial experience for its students and also enhancing research and innovation capability through strategic collaborations with its stakeholders. The collaboration initiative is also to heed the Titah of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam at the UTB Convocation Ceremony in 2014 that called UTB to form triple helix strategic alliances across academia, industry and the government, which will attract multinational corporations to work closely with the University on-campus.

Also present at the official opening of the UTB – Sesame World Technology STI Lab and the Scholarship Award Ceremony were Madam Yang Gian, the Ambassador of China to Brunei Darussalam; Professor Dr. Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman, Vice-Chancellor of UTB; Dr. Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, Rector of UNISSA and Dr. Haji Azman bin Ahmad, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education).