Are you about to complete your A levels, IB Diploma or O Levels and need some help deciding your path towards higher education?
Education consultants HRDS Education Services will be organising the StudyGlobal Exhibition on Wednesday, November 6, from 2pm to 7pm at the Radisson Hotel.
Representatives from 15 universities and colleges in Australia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom will be on hand to discuss study options with students for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
What should I study?
Finding the right career and study pathway is an important life decision.
As a young nation, Brunei recognises the importance of a knowledge-based economy and thus has a strong emphasis on capacity building. But unfortunately, training for many of the current skills shortages is not available locally and students find studying abroad a necessity.
A returning student wants to make himself as employable as possible, and choosing the right course is key to provide excellent career opportunities further down the line.
“Students tend to focus on course options and universities rather than the long-term career opportunities that the degree could lead to”, said Maizura Bakar from HRDS.
“Students should try to think outside the box and think of careers that are unique so that they are not competing with others. For example, there are plenty of engineers but there is real shortage of surveyors, digital health technologists, agriculture engineers, and food technologists.”
There are many new careers that did not exist even five years ago and there is now an acute skills shortage in these fields, such as machine learning, data science, business analytics, genomics, digital health, spatial science, artificial intelligence, and health administration.
There are a whole host of jobs that are now being automated and prospective students need to be aware which jobs will become obsolete and where there will be new opportunities.
Dr Smita Wimmer, general manager of HRDS said the StudyGlobal Exhibition is an opportunity for Bruneian students to find out about new programmes that universities have recently introduced in response to the skills demands of employers in industry, business, health and government.
The participating universities offer most of the courses that Bruneians are looking for in sciences, engineering, medicine, health, business, finance, IT, law, art and design, as well as interdisciplinary programmes such as geomatics, construction, design and technology, creative industries.
Which universities will be there?
British institutions attending the exhibition are: Cardiff University, University College Birmingham, Leeds Beckett University, University of Leeds, University of Leicester, University of Strathclyde, Cambridge Education Group on Campus, and Kaplan International Pathways.
Other universities that will be represented at the event include the University of Adelaide, Asia Pacific University of Technology, Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences, Infrastructure University of Kuala Lumpur, Monash University Malaysia, Taylor’s University, University of Southhampton Malaysia.
All participating universities are accredited by Brunei National Accreditation Council.
The exhibition will enable students, graduates and in-service personnel to obtain first-hand information to make informed decisions about the course and the university that align with their personal interests and qualifications.
Undergraduate and postgrad studies
The participating universities have world-class reputations, providing students with assurance that their resulting qualifications will be recognised internationally.
Using university league tables as a guide is usually not enough to help you decide which course or institution would be a good fit for you.
University representatives at the StudyGlobal Exhibition will be able to highlight the strengths of a specific course, something that may not be evident from the league tables. For example, the opportunity to undertake internships, work placements and the weight of professional accreditation that industries often look for.
The exhibition is a great platform to meet a number of universities under one roof and obtain all the key information to help make your final choice of course and institution.
For a similarly titled degree courses, universities vary in terms of modules, formats and facilities. It is extremely important to make a structured comparison and talk to as many university representatives as possible.
Pre-university pathways
The StudyGlobal Exhibition will also be hosting a number of institutions that offer foundation programmes.
University Foundation programmes are pre-university courses, usually of one-year duration, which are designed specifically for overseas students, and often includes excellent study skills support.
“We find that students tend to prefer subjects that are directly relevant to their chosen degree,”said Hafiz Kifli from HRDS.
“University Foundation programmes tend to focus on specific disciplines, for example, engineering, health science, business, etc.
“These programmes are often run on university campuses with access to university facilities and the mode of teaching is similar to university classes. This eases transition to university life as the student would be familiar with the university environment and would have developed good academic skills needed for undergraduate studies.”
Hafiz added that the failure rate for students in a foundation programme is relatively low, thus ensuring entry into a good university.
Students should choose the foundation programmes carefully to ensure progression to their degree choices.
Having the chance to meeting university staff, as well as foundation course providers at the StudyGlobal Exhibition, should give students and families a good insight into how the university pathway options fit into their own career plans.
For more information, visit HRDS Education Services at SEAMEO VOCTECH Regional Centre on Jalan Pasar Baharu or contact them at +673 7180157 and via email at enquiries@hrd-services.com.