FIRST PRIVATE COLLEGE TO CONDUCT FULL-FLEDGE DEGREE PROGRAMMES (BB)

Kolej IGS Brunei, a private tertiary education institution located at Kg Kiulap, has the distinction of being the first private college in Brunei Darussalam to be approved by the Ministry Of Education to conduct full-fledge degree programmes (two to three years, all conducted locally), said a press release.

According to IGS principal Pg Hjh Fatimah Pg Setia Jaya Pg Hj Abd Momin, IGS' offering of degree programmes from LIM KOK WING University of Creative Technology (LKWUCT), Malaysia, has recently been approved. The IGS-LKWUCT memorandum of understanding was signed in 2009.

"On behalf of Kolej IGS and the Board of Directors, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Education for their trust and confidence in our college.

This is a wonderful development, as private students seeking recognised university degrees, from now on, will no longer have to go abroad.

IGS is pleased to be able to save private students the hassle of studying abroad," she added.

The degree programmes approved by MOE are: Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons), Bachelor of Business (Hons) Accounting, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Information Technology and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Software Engineering with Multimedia.

Entry requirements include National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (FIND) and GCE `A'-Level. Students with other qualifications will be considered on a case-to-case basis.

"HND holders, who meet academic requirements, will be placed directly in the 2nd Year of the respective programmes, and therefore, will only need two years to obtain their degrees," Pg Hjh Fatimah further explained.

Application forms and further information may be obtained at the Kolej IGS campus in Kg Kiulap.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

IGS KOLEJ CONTRIBUTES TO CHARITY IN SPIRIT OF RAMADHAN (BT)

IGS KOLEJ organised a tahlil and charity ceremony in conjunction with the holy month of Ramadhan, with a theme of "Spirituality and Charity for the Holy Month," yesterday.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kolej IGS, Pg Hjh Fatimah Pg Setia Jaya Pengiran Hj Abdul Momin, presented the donation, which comprised cash amounting to $738, gift hampers and other household items, to six different families for the upcoming Hari Raya celebrations.

The families were selected by the Community Development Department, Ministry of Youth Culture and Sports. The recipients are Hjh Dauyah Hj Bayau from Jerudong, Dk Sabariah Pg Hj Sariffudin from Kg Bakut Pengiran Siraja Muda B, Mustapaha Timbang from Kg Junjongan, Maria Yusuf from Kg Pengkalan Batu, Abdullah Sirat from Kg Lambak Kanan and Nurul Hadiah Abdullah from Kg Madang.

During the ceremony, a cheque worth $700 was also presented to Dato Paduka Hj Ali Hashim Hj Mohd Daud, Chief Executive Officer of Pengiran Muda Mahkota Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans (Dana) by students of National Diploma in Business and Finance (NDBF08/02).

The money were raised through their business project "IGS Food Carnival and Trade Show 2010", organised in collaboration with Megavision Event Management in May this year.

The Brunei Times

KIGS LENDS HELPING HAND TO NEEDY FAMILY (BB)

by Syafiq Affendy

A mother and her son received a heartwarming gesture from the International Graduate Studies College (IGS) as the students lifted their spirits to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri which is just around the corner.
Students and lecturers participated in the event to lend a helping hand in making their house cleaner and more comfortable to live in.

Fifty-seven-year-old retiree, Hajah Dauyah and her son Mohd Noor, 27, have been unable to celebrate Hari Raya for 10 years due to the dilapidated state of their house after facing financial difficulties.

According to Hajah Dauyah, she previously worked at the Agriculture Department. Her husband passed away when Mohd Noor was only 11years old.

"Now I depend on the B$200 financial aid from the Community Development Department and my son is employed at a coral products-processing company," said Hajah Dauyah.

Mohd Noor explained that he is currently working on an on-call basis and he receives a B$300 paycheck. As an alternative when not working, they depend on growing their own vegetables and catching fish just to make ends meet.

"We are thankful for the help rendered by the young people at IGS and their lecturers who have done an amazing job cleaning our whole house including the surroundings to lessen the burden we have been facing for so long," said Mohd Noor.

One of the leading members of IGS, Wan Haji Mohd Faisal Haji Zaini, said that around 150 students volunteered for the charitable work and were divided into four groups. They have been working hard from August 21 till yesterday to clean up the premises.

"We have narrowed down the list of six needy families provided by the Community Development Department. Six of us from IGS went out and interviewed the six families to find out which one of them needed help the most. Hajah Dauyah's residence was infested with insects and had a stench when we first came in to help but praise be to Allah, everything has gone as planned and it is now a better home to live in," he said.

Those interested in helping or giving donations to Hajah Dauyah may do so by approaching them directly at No 22, Simpang 544, Kampong Jerudong, right next to Holiday Lodge Hotel in Jerudong.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

IGS STUDENTS SPEND A DAY AT SMARTER (BT)

A TOTAL of 31 students from IGS Kolej went on an educational visit to Smarter Brunei on Thursday.

After a tour of the centre, the students divided themselves into six groups of five people whom were picked at random.

The groups were tasked with becoming teachers for the day and spend the afternoon engaged in fun activities with the students at Smarter. The activities which were mostly carried out in the Sensory Room include colouring, identifying the letters of the alphabet and matching pictures to the names.

According to the group leader, Halimatus Saadyah Hj Julaihi, the visit was part of their Social Responsibility assignment where students were required to do community and charity work.

There was also some singing activity as well as a group photo session at the end of the day.

The Brunei Times

IGS COLLEGE HOLD AUTISM TALK (BT)

by Ubaidillah Masli and Koo Jin Shen

More than 60 students of International Graduate Studies (IGS) College in Kiulap yesterday were given greater insight on autism after the college's second year Business and Finance students invited the president of Smarter Brunei to speak on the disorder.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, IGS Lecturer of Business and Finance Gwendoline William said that yesterday's talk by Malai Hj Abdullah Hj Malai Othman was part of the college's personal development programme, which had a different theme every month.

"This particular month, because it is the fasting month, we (assigned) the theme of spirituality and charity," said William, who added that it hoped to teach her students on the marketing aspect of corporate social responsibility.

"Once the students know about these things, (then) there is an awareness. We have to be more concerned and we have to be more aware. They are different from us, all the autistic kids," she added.

"Maybe all of us will become parents one day. What would you do if one of your kids had autism? Or a relative or your friend?" the lecturer asked, pointing out that the lecture would help the students in the future.

One of five students currently taking the National Diploma Course in Business and Finance and who arranged the lecture, Dk Siti Nasrulfaizah Pg Nora Lim, felt that autism was not well known among her peers.

She and her classmates had asked other students whether they knew about autism and most responded that they did not, Dk Siti Nasrulfaizah went on to explain.

Therefore, the group of Business and Finance students decided to arrange for Malai Hj Abdullah to talk at IGS once more, after already having delivered a previous lecture at the college on time management.

Dk Siti Nasrulfaizah said that she had previous knowledge on autism, but after the talk, she felt that she had learned much more on the disorder. She also hoped the talk would make students aware of their social responsibility.

Another student, Halimatus Saadyah Hj Julaihi shared that they had previously visited Smarter Brunei and the society's centre for adults with autism, Baca.

"They (autistic individuals) are normal, but there is just something a bit more special about them," Halimatus said.

"They can do everything that we can do, just in a different way," said Dk Siti Nasrulfaizah.

A member of the audience told The Brunei Times that the lecture had helped him realise that autism was not actually a disability, as he initially perceived it to be.

"Austistic children, as far as I know, need to be treated special. They can't catch up in many things, so they need to be taught step by step," said Hj Md Saifuddin.

The college hoped to hold the talk again next year.

"We will continue this programme to work with (Smarter Brunei). We are looking into (organising an autism) workshop for a start. We can also help with fundraising for the centre," said William.

Today, the IGS college students will be building on their new-found knowledge on autism by paying a visit to Smarter Brunei Centre in Sengkurong.

The Brunei Times

SMOKING NOT A GOOD HABIT, MINISTER TELLS YOUNGSTERS (BT)

by Fitri Shahminan

NEW graduates and students at the International Graduate Studies College (IGS College) Brunei were reminded not to start the habit of smoking as the Ministry of Health has observed "more new smokers among the youth including students".

The reminder was articulated by Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman in his speech during the third convocation of IGS College last night.

Although no statistics were made available on the percentage of smokers among youth, the minister cited the recent findings from the Integrated Health Screening which disclosed that 14.7 per cent of civil servants were smokers.

"Smoking is a harmful habit that is not easy to give up once we are addicted to tobacco. So we advise students not to start the habit; it is not part of growing up," he said.

Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi added that the general public were aware that smoking is a bad habit.

"Cancer is known to be among the top four chronic diseases that cause death, yet this does not deter people from smoking despite its close link to lung cancer," he added. The minister also said that upon graduation, some of the sutdents from IGS might join the nation's workforce.

He admitted that each new addition to the workforce would bring expectation that they would not only have relevant knowledge and skills, but also "the commitment and fortitude that would bring national development to another level".

"You all have the responsibility to contribute to the nation to the best of your ability and capability. You can no longer say it is not yet the time, because the time is now," he stressed.

In addition, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi highlighted the need to have a healthy workforce.

Following the recent results from the Integrated Health Screening that showed 59.5 per cent out of 4,958 civil servants were overweight and obese, the minister called for Bruneians to be aware of the lurking danger of obesity.

"Obesity is a common risk factor for many chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and stroke," he said. The minister added that every effort must be taken to reduce obesity at an early age, particularly among students to avoid them from growing up into obese adults.

The Brunei Times

73 STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM IGS COLLEGE (BT)

A TOTAL of 73 students from the International Graduate Studies College (IGS College) Brunei are walking proud today after graduating in their respective courses at the third convocation of IGS College last night.

Eight students graduated from the Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance course and 11 from the National Diploma in the same course, while 19 graduated from the National Diploma in Computer Studies and 35 received certificate of Pre-National Diploma in Computer studies.

Best Student Award recipient, Dk Nazalita Nazerah Pg Razali, who graduated from the Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance, was very excited and proud of her personal achievement.

"I didn't expect to grab the award as there was strong competitions in my class," she said. The 22-year-old who plans to pursue her undergraduate studies in the UK, has already received offer letters from Kent University, Aston University and Keele University and is now awaiting for the Ministry of Education to award her with a scholarship.

She also aims to specialise in human resource management to help reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

"We have quite a significant number of unemployed graduates in the country. So I am looking to contribute in that area in the future (help solve the unemployment problem) if I become an expert in human resource management," she said.

Dk Nazalita also shared her idea to come up with solutions for unemployed people who do not possess strong educational background.

In her speech, she thanked the lecturers and the management of IGS College for "helping her to achieve her dream".

She appreciated the teaching methodologies adopted in the class including lectures, group discussion, debates, case studies and class presentations that helped her to develop the skills required in the present dynamic business environment.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Nur Fajrina Hj Ibrahim who graduated from the National Diploma in Computer Studies, acquired the invaluable skill of time management over her three-year course.

"I've never really faced a big challenge during my course, but I had difficulties in managing my (personal) time and balancing it out with my studies," she said, adding that she conducted a lot of group discussions and held study gatherings with her friends to overcome her challenge.

The former Rimba Secondary School student is due to sit for her International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at the end of this month in order to further her studies in Australia.

"I'm very excited and I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time," she said, speaking of her feelings before receiving her graduation award.

Izzah Nazurah Hj Abd Rahman, was another student who also expressed her excitement after having graduated from the National Diploma in Business and Finance.

Starting her three-year course in 2007, the 19-year-old could hardly believe that she reached her present level of education.

She shared that her biggest challenge was during the final project in which she had to deal with both the public and the government sectors through several business projects.

The business-minded graduate shared her ultimate dreams of starting her own company and become a successful local entrepreneur in the future.

Pg Hjh Fatimah PSJ Pg Hj Abd Momin, Chief operating Officer (CEO) of IGS College, congratulated the graduating students in her welcoming address.

She highlighted the various programmes undertaken by the college to align with the Vision 2035 as well as the mission of the Education Ministry, which is to "Provide Holistic Education to Achieve Fullest Potential For All".

The CEO also shared that degree programmes could be available and offered in September upon approval by the Ministry of Education , following a recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology Malaysia.

On hand to present the awards to the winner was Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman.

The Brunei Times