The new Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam ALAF (Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future) Centre for Excellence and Empowerment (CEE) is committed towards enriching student learning with state-of-the-art facilities that cater to the demand of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Located at the PGGMB building at the capital, the CEE, which began operations last year, acts as a central hub for BIBD ALAF students, said BIBD Deputy Managing Director, Hjh Noraini Hj Sulaiman during a scholarship awarding ceremony on Monday.
“The BIBD ALAF programme emphasizes capacity building that focuses on generating relevant skills and meeting the needs of the industry,” she said in her capacity as the Chairperson of the BIBD ALAF Programme Board of Trustees.
According to Hjh Noraini, the CEE has been equipped with a computer lab and an IT technology incubator, along with a host of other facilities such as a reading room, a collaboration room as well as tuition and counselling rooms, all of which are meant to enrich the learning experience of the ALAF students.
She mentioned the BIBD ALAF Convention which was launched last year as an example where students were required to debate issues and ideas on topics such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and virtual reality.
“This represents one of our efforts to strengthen the skills of the BIBD ALAF students and expose them to expertise and knowledge (that are) much needed in the era of the 4IR,” she added.
The Deputy Managing Director went on to note that when schools nationwide shifted towards online or virtual learning last year, the CEE played an important role in ensuring that the students are not left behind in their studies.
Especially for those who were about to sit for big exams such as the GCE A’Level, GCE O’Level, Brunei Religious Education Certificate (SPUB) and the Primary School Assessment (PSR).
“The BIBD ALAF office provided laptops and special learning spaces to enable students to access online learning materials and video conferencing sessions with their teachers,” continued Hjh Noraini.
“Alhamdulillah, I am happy to share, thanks to the integrated efforts and empowerment from the partners of the BIBD ALAF programme, all BIBD ALAF students have recorded excellent results in all the general examinations they sat for,” she added.
Inclusive of the 19 new scholarship recipients this year, the BIBD ALAF programme has supported 243 students comprising of 43 currently in primary school, 162 in secondary school, 11 in pre-university studies, four studying for GCE A’Level examinations, ten enrolled in universities and polytechnics both locally and abroad, while 13 other students are awaiting GCE O’level examination results.
“The BIBD ALAF programme is a manifestation of BIBD’s belief in the value of life-long learning in line with the objectives of Brunei Vision 2035, to develop into a nation which will be widely recognised for the accomplishments of its well-educated and highly-skilled people,” she went on to say.
“This programme also shows BIBD’s commitment as a Partner in Progress, taking a Whole of Nation approach to capacity-building by partnering with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Education along with the support of local corporates and members of the public,” she added.
Present to hand over the BIBD ALAF scholarships to the new recipients was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance & Economy II, in his capacity as Chairman of BIBD and its group of companies.
Also present at the event was Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mazanan Hj Yusof, Assistant Mufti (Buhuth) in his capacity as Chairman of BIBD’s Shariah Advisory Body.
The Guest of Honour and invited guests also toured the CEE, and viewed an exhibition showcasing the BIBD ALAF students.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
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