partnerships - utb with piper aircraft ... to encourage cipta alumni to become entrepreneurs and to...

Institut Teknologi Brunei

Second Issue • July - December 2013

ITB Wins Prestigious Robotics Competition 2013

ITB Teams win Top Prizes at BICTA

Improving Safetyon Brunei Roads

Page 23Page 8 Page 20

Partnershipswith PIPER AIRCRAFT INC. FloRIdA INsTITuTE oF TEChNology&

Robots designed by the ITB-ROBOCON students

Welcoming Message

Editorial

ContactInternational and Public Relations [email protected]

Editorial BoardDr Christine Jothy Raju, Awg Hj Ady Syarmin bin Hj Md Taib, Mike Cross, Siti Asmahlati Bolkini Hj A. Ahmad, Sanda Kumari Chandran, Thulasimani Munohsamy, Asmaal Muizz Sallehhin H M Sultan, Lim Chui Hua

CONTENTSAssalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, with the blessings from Allah SWT, we are able to publish the second issue of , a half yearly magazine which shall serve as the flagship of our University that will explore, engage, exchange and stimulate healthy discussions.

Institute Teknologi Brunei has achieved another milestone by signing a separate Memoranda of Understanding with Piper Aircraft, Inc (Piper) and Florida Institute Techonolgy (FIT) on 4 September 2013. Under the MOU with Piper, our undergraduate students will be able to undergo interships in Florida (USA), an initiative which we hope to implement in January 2014.

As a follow-up to our Crown Prince CIPTA competition, the Crown Prince CIPTA Executive Seminar and Workshop took place on 26 September 2013. The aim of the Seminar and Workshop was to encourage CIPTA alumni to become entrepreneurs and to contribute to the nation’s economy. We are grateful to BEDB, BruIPO, AITI and the iCentre for helping us to tailor the 2 day programme. Insya’ Allah, we will be launching the Crown Prince CIPTA Competition 2015 next year.

On the research front, ITB was granted almost $300K from the Brunei Research Council for a study involving road safety. The Centre for Road Safety Studies will be collaborating with the Ministry of Communication. It is a great start for ITB on the national research agenda and I expect more research projects to be submitted and approved by the Brunei Research Council.

I am always proud of our students as they never fail us in national competitions. They swept up all the top prizes in BICTA. The winning BICTA project, Autisay, will compete at the international level before the end of the year. Good luck to Dk Siti Nor Bazilah, Halina Jumaat and Abdullah Maidin.

Alhamdulillah, it has been a great year for ITB. We will be having our Convocation on 28 November 2013 which will be presided over for the first time by His Majesty the Sultan as the Chancellor of ITB. The inaugural event will be reported in the next issue. Last but not least, I would also like to thank the contributors and congratulate the editorial team for their commitment and hardwork.

Wassalam.

With best wishes,

Zohrah Sulaiman

Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah Hj SulaimanActing Vice-ChancellorInstitut Teknologi Brunei

The rationale behind

To be the ‘heartbeat’ of ITB by adding visibility, value, and impact to ITB’s vision and mission.

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Nuzul Hakeem Hj Awg Akup Course: HND Electrical Power & Control Engineering (Intake 27) Role: Team Leader/Manual Operator

Lim Tai Tzin Course: HND Electrical Power & Control Engineering (Intake 27) Role: Main team (Electrical)

Sally Leong Yee Wei Course: BEng Electrical and Communication Engineering (Intake 1) Role: Main team (Programmer)

Mohammad Suranizam Sulaiman Course: BEng Mechatronic Engineering (Intake 1) Role: Pit Crew (Electronics)

Martino Prait Course: HND Communication and Computer Systems Engineering (Intake 27) Role: Pit Crew (Electronics)

Hj Mohammad Khairul Azri Hj Zaini Course: BEng Mechanical Engineering (Intake 1) Role: Pit Crew (Mechanics)

Muhammad Syu'aib Othman Course: BEng in Mechanical Engineering (Intake 1) Role: Pit Crew (Mechanics)

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ITSYBYTES’ games

3-7 Features

8-10 Research

11-12 Religious Events

13-19 Staff News

20-24 Student Achievement

25-34 Student Experience

35 Sport

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Partnerships with Piper Aircraft Inc. and Florida Institute of Technology

On 4 September 2013, a ceremony for the signing

of separate Memoranda of Understanding between Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) and Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) was held at Lecture Theatre 2 in ITB.

The Guest of Honour at the ceremony was The Honourable Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong. Also present were: Dato Paduka Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, Acting Minister of Finance II; His Excellency Mr Daniel Shields, the United States Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam; Dato Paduka Haji Hisham bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Permanent Secretary (Policy and Investment) at the Ministry of Finance; Dato Paduka Dr Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education; Awang Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Ibrahim, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Investment) at the Ministry of Finance; and Senior Officials from ITB and the Ministries of Education and Finance.

During the ceremony, the opening remarks were delivered by Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ITB. This was then followed by remarks from Mr Simon Caldecott, President of Piper Aircraft, Inc. and Dr Razvan Rusovici, Associate Professor in Biomedical and Aerospace Engineering of Florida Institute of Technology.

The MOU between ITB and Piper was signed by Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman for ITB, and Mr Simon Caldecott for Piper, in the presence of the Minister of Education. Under the MOU with Piper, selected students from ITB will undergo internships with Piper in Florida. This will provide industrial exposure to ITB students and enhance their practical and industrial experience as part of their undergraduate degree studies.

The Honourable Minister of Education witnessing the exchange of the MOUs between the Acting VC of ITB and Simon Caldecott (R)

Features

Signing of the Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB)-Piper MOU in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Education.

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Features

A group photo with the Honourable Minister of Education

The MOU between ITB and FIT was signed by Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman for ITB and AP Dr Razvan Rusovici for FIT, in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Education. The MOU with FIT provides a platform for academic and research collaborations between both universities including student and staff exchange, joint research activities and academic programmes.

Piper Aircraft, Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, Florida. A global force in aviation, Piper is an investment of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Brunei. The company offers efficient single-engine and twin-engine trainers and personal and business aircraft. With economical acquisition and operating costs, Piper airplanes delivers the best value available today and for the foreseeable future. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

Florida Institute of Technology is an established technological university with a long distinguished history in producing engineers, scientists, and business professionals with a full array of specialities. It is well known for its attraction to international students and its proximity to the NASA Kennedy Space Center and local high tech industries.

The Honourable Minister of Education witnessing the exchange of the MOUs between the Acting VC of ITB and AP Dr Razvan Rusovici (R)

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Features

INSPIRE interns with the Acting VC and ITB officials

ITB and the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI)

signed a Memorandum of Understanding in a ceremony held on 16 July 2013 at Dewan Seri Kerna, AITI. Signing for ITB was the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, and AITI was represented by its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Awg Hj Osman bin Hj Ladis. The MOU was signed in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar. A separate MOU was also signed between AITI and UBD.

Also present at the event were the Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, His Excellency Jaya Ratnam; the Deputy Permanent Secretary (IT & e-Government) the Acting Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Communications, Awg Haji Idris bin Haji Ali and Awg Adi Shamsul bin Haji Sabli, at the Prime Minister’s Office and Acting Chairman of AITI.

One of the immediate projects executed under the MOU is the students’ internship programme, INSPIRE. This programme provides an opportunity for selected students to undergo their industrial attachment with Singapore’s ICT companies for a period of six months. The programme will enable students to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills through meaningful work experience and interaction with relevant professionals and experts in an actual working environment. The INSPIRE Programme is also supported by the Department of Economic, Planning and Development (JPKE) and funded under the 10th National Development Plan

for Human Capacity Development Programme.

Four ITB students were selected for INSPIRE: Ak Md Hardine bin Pg Hj Marali, Md Naqiuddin Ihsan bin Awg Mat Japar, Dk Siti Rasyidah bte Pg Abd Azis and Abdul Rasyid bin Hj Osman. The students will be involved in various ICT projects throughout their internship programme such as software engineering, programming using Javascript, SQL, C++, biometric software development and social media applications development.

The students left Brunei for Singapore on 18 July 2013. Present to bid farewell to the students at the Brunei International Airport were Awang Adi Shamsul bin Haji Sabli, Acting Chairman of AITI and Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Pg Dr Hj Md Esa Al-Islam bin Pg Hj Md Yunus, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of ITB and AITI’s senior management.

Partnership with AITI

Signing of the MOU in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Communications

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The Crown Prince CIPTA Executive Seminar and Workshop commenced on 26 September 2013

with two keynote presentations. The two day seminar themed ‘Invention to Commercialisation’ was held at the Bahtera Hall of Badi’ah Hotel.

During the Crown Prince CIPTA 2013 Award Ceremony held on 25 March this year, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ITB, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, announced the Executive Seminar initiative in her welcoming speech. This demonstrated the commitment of ITB and its partner Brunei LNG in supporting local talent after the CIPTA competition by providing them with the necessary guidance for them to embark on their journey of innovation.

Present as the Guest of Honour during the keynote session of the Executive Seminar was Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office.

THE CROWN PRINCE CIPTA EXECUTIVE SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP

Also present were: Awang Haji Mohammad ‘Abdoh bin Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Salam, Permanent Secretary (Corporate and Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Awang Mohamad bin Haji Awang Damit, Managing Director and CEO of Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd; Awang Yusof bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary (International, Economic,

A group photo with the Guest of Honour

Dr Dong Ho Cho of KAIST delivering his keynote presentation

Features

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Finance, Research and Development) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Awang Adi Shamsul bin Haji Sabli, Deputy Permanent Secretary (IT and E-Government) at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education and Mr Vincent Cheong, CEO of BEDB.

In her welcoming address Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah stated that the aim of the Executive Seminar was to provide guidance on the processes involved in protecting inventions/innovations, on writing a business plan, on starting up a business and on how to get funding. One spin-off of the seminar and workshop would be to turn inventors or innovators into entrepreneurs, thus helping the growth of small and medium enterprises in the country.

The first keynote presentation entitled ‘R&D Strategy and Achievements for IT Industry in Korea with focus on Online Electric Vehicle System’ was given by Professor Dr Dong Ho Cho from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Professor Dr Dong Ho Cho is currently the KT Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Director of Wireless Power Transfer Technology Research Centre of KAIST and the Head of The Cho Chun Sik Graduate School for Green Transportation.

The second keynote presentation was delivered by Mr. Daniel Leong Nyuk Ming, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Innovation and New Initiatives Division of the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB). Mr Daniel Leong spoke about BEDB’s mission to expand and diversify Brunei Darussalam’s economy by attracting investment and strengthening local businesses through research and innovation.

ITB through its Intellectual Property and Commercialisation Unit collaborated with the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), the Brunei Darussalam Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO), the iCentre and the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) to tailor the seminar programme for the target participants.

Speakers and facilitators from BEDB, BruIPO, iCentre, AITI and ITB covered the followingtopics:1. Patent and Industrial Protection in Brunei

Darussalam2. Filing an International Application – the PCT

Route3. Starting up a Business

4. BEDB’s Assistance Schemes and Grants5. AITI Grant for Development of Local ICT & Digital

Media Industries6. Crowd Funding7. Presenting a Business Plan

The seminar participants comprised of CIPTA alumni and representatives from higher learning institutions in Brunei.

CIPTA is an acronym for ‘Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement’ and it is a biennial competition to encourage innovation and creativity for national development. CIPTA 2013 was the fifth edition of the competition since its inauguration in 2005. CIPTA 2013 was organised by Institut Teknologi Brunei with Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd as a partner and sponsor.

There are 3 categories in CIPTA 2013: Category 1, “Creating new product, process or technology”; Category 2, “Modifying existing product, process or technology”; and Category 3, “Creating New or Modifying Existing Product, Process or Technology by Young Inventors”.

Pg Dr Hj Md Esa presenting a certificate of appreciation to Dyg Diana Ramli, an invited speaker from BEDB

Features

Mr Daniel Leong of BEDB delivering the second keynote presentation

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Research

In Brunei Darussalam, the majority of the population travel by private car. The road accident rate involving private cars in recent years has remained relatively high compared to other developed countries such as the UK and Singapore. With approximately two in one thousand people injured and one in ten thousand people killed on the road every year (Brunei Darussalam Statistical Year Book), the need to improve road safety is now greater than ever before.

The Brunei National Road Safety Council (BNRSC), with its members comprising the Royal Brunei Police Force, Public Works Department, Road Safety Unit and other agencies, has been actively leading the drive to improve the road safety record in our country. In 2011, an important milestone was reached when Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna, launched the “Blueprint Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) Brunei Darussalam”. The blueprint would adopt a psychological-technological and integrated approach to improve road safety, and be based on the five pillars of road safety management: safer roads, mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users and post-crash response. It also outlined the importance of conducting research to support the road safety policies and strategies in the country.

ITB has been active in road safety research ever since Dr Hj Supry bin Hj Ladi completed his PhD in road safety and re-joined ITB in 2007. The research efforts by Dr Hj Supry and his team eventually culminated into the establishment of the Centre for Road Safety Studies (CRoSS) in 2011. Dr Hj Supry remained as the director of (CRoSS) until 2012 when he was promoted to another position at the Ministry of Communications. He has remained an active researcher at the centre in his capacity as a research fellow.

The Centre was established to contribute to the growth of research activities at the University and to support road safety policy and strategy development through research-generated evidence, data and recommendations. To summarise, the role of the Centre is to carry out interdisciplinary research in the related fields of road safety and transport, and to complement the National Road Safety Action Plans and strategic directions.

Since its establishment, CRoSS has completed several applied studies on road accident hotspots, road safety inspection, public transportation, school vicinity road safety, safer mobility zones in residential areas and mid-block U-turn safety. The outcomes from these studies are regularly shared with and disseminated to the key stakeholders of BNRSC including the Department of Investigation and Traffic Control, the Department of Roads, and the Road Safety Unit, so that timely interventions can be taken.

At present, the team at CRoSS consists of academic staff from across the disciplines of Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Computer Information Systems. The Centre consists of five virtual units, each focusing on a major strategic area of the Centre. The units are the Road Engineering and

Research Grant

Congratulations to the researchers in the CRoSS Centre whose proposed Road Infrastructure Safety Study has been awarded funding amounting to $284,400 by the Brunei Research Council. The study will

undoubtedly contribute towards road safety in Brunei Darussalam and also improve ITB’s research standing.

Improving Safety on Brunei Roads

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Environment Unit (REE), the In-car Device and Roadside Technology Unit (TECH), the Public Land Transport Unit (TRANS), the Vulnerable Road Users Unit (USER), and the Emerging Areas and Support Services Unit (EASE). To date, most of the research activities have been conducted by the academic staff and students at ITB with limited funding support. The Centre has recently started to explore international research collaborations with researchers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.

The Centre has achieved three major milestones in 2013. Earlier this year, the Centre Director was appointed as the Chairperson of the Environment Focus Group under BNRSC in recognition of the potential of CRoSS to contribute towards the continuous and long-term effort of the Council to improve road safety. In June 2013, the Ministry of Communications officially appointed the Centre as the research agency to conduct two projects entitled, ‘Road Accident Data Enhancement and Development’ and ‘Average Speed Monitoring System’. In September 2013, the Centre successfully secured a competitive research grant of $284,400 from the Brunei Research Council to conduct a research project entitled, ‘Road Infrastructure Safety Study’.

With these external sources of research funding and the continued support from the University and BNRSC, the team at the Centre hopes to develop and strengthen the University’s road safety research capability and reputation, while at the same time contributing to the very important road safety agenda in the country.

Projects at CRoSS

1. Road Accident Data Enhancement And Development (RADED)

A prerequisite to improving road safety is to have a comprehensive road accident database and analysis system. Accurate and reliable data over a period of time are needed to strategise road safety initiatives, to understand road accident contributory factors and to evaluate the effectiveness of road safety intervention programmes. A previous study on Road Traffic Accident (RTA) data in Brunei Darussalam identified several areas where the RTA on-site and off-site recording could be enhanced. The study highlighted the importance of using a computerised system to replace the current manual methods of recording, storing, retrieval, presenting and analysing these important data. This research project aims to study and enhance the RTA data collection process, and to design a prototype, computerised RTA system for Brunei Darussalam. It is envisioned that the outcomes will help to improve the RTA record in Brunei Darussalam so that more focused and evidence-based interventions can be undertaken to improve road safety in the country.

Team members: Dr Tan Soon Jiann, Dr Hj Supry Hj Ag Ladi, Ak Hj Azhan bin Pg Hj Ahmad, Ibrahim Idris, Dr Ena Kartina bte Hj Abd Rahman

Sample automated output from the proposed analysis system

Research

Number of accidents by type

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Sample automated output from the proposed analysis system

Sample hotspot map developed using GIS

2. Development Of Average Speed Monitoring System (ASMoS)

This research focuses on a system known as Electronic Vehicle Identification, and will use passive RFID transponders (Ultra-High Frequency) that will be embedded inside the windshields of the vehicle. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and antennas will be placed in key locations on the roads, such as intersections and accident prone areas and will automatically read the vehicle information though their unique IDs. The Electronic Vehicle Identification system will be used to identify ownership of the car, average speed of the car over a certain distance, road tax and vehicle registration details. The main output from ASMoS is expected to consist of a prototype speed monitoring device interconnected with the bespoke software running on a computer system. The project will also generate a report that contains a detailed account on the design, implementation and testing stages of the prototype and recommendations for further research and development.

Team members:Syed Bilal Hassan, Hj Mohd. Adi Mukmin, Pg Muhd Nazri bin Pg Hj Ahmad, Dk. Hjh Nooralam bte Hj Tuah, Ak Hj Azhan bin Pg Hj Ahmad, Ibrahim Idris, Dr Tan Soon Jiann, Dr Hj Supry Hj Ag Ladi

3. Road Infrastructure Safety Study (RISaS)

This research project aims to improve the safety of the road environment in Brunei Darussalam through the introduction and implementation of a systematic five-stage approach to Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) i.e. hotspot identification, prioritisation, diagnosis, remedial and evaluation.

Stage 1 will identify the accident-prone roads through the digitisation of past RTA records and identify the hotspots along those roads. Stage 2 will then prioritise the identified hotspots using a suggested colour-coding system. Stage 3 will involve the diagnosis of those hotspots whereby Road Safety Inspections (RSI) will be conducted

to identify the problems and issues pertaining to the selected hotspots. Stage 4 will propose and implement remedial measures for the selected sites. Stage 5 will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the remedial measures. The outcomes will provide recommendations for road safety practitioners on a systematic approach for deriving a road safety intervention and evaluation programme based on historical road safety data and a road safety inspection programme.

Team members:Dr Tan Soon Jiann, Dr Hj Supry Hj Ag Ladi, Dr Ena Kartina bte Hj Abd Rahman

Research

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ITB observes Ramadhan with Khatam Al-Quran

SYAWALKU di ITB

Korban Ceremony in ITB

In conjunction with Ramadhan and Nuzul Al-Quran 1434H, staff and students of ITB marked

the completion of tadarus Al-Quran with a Khatam ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Concourse Hall of the University. The Guest of Honour at the ceremony was Pg Dr Hj Md Esa Al-Islam bin Pg Hj Md Yunus, the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of ITB. Also in attendance were the University’s Principal Officers, lecturers, staff and students.

The ceremony began with the mass recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah led by the Guest of Honour and followed by the Ayat-ayat Lazim, Takhtim and concluded with Doa Khatam. The congregants then performed Iftaar

On 31 August 2013, the Student Representative Council organised a Hari Raya celebration, with the theme, ‘One Department, One Identity’. After the arrival of the Guest of Honour, Mrs Jennifer Hiew, the

Registrar & Secretary, the students commenced their performance and the audience were served traditional Malay cuisine.

ITB commemorated Aidiladha with a Korban ceremony on Saturday, 19 October 2013 held at

the University campus. The event was organised jointly by the Ugama Unit, Student Affairs and the Student Representative Council of the University.

The ceremony was officiated by the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ITB, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, who also presented the Korban meat portions to the asnaf recipients.

In her welcoming remarks, Ustazah Hjh Kartini binti Hj Bakar, the Co-Chairperson of the ceremony, highlighted the virtues of the act of sacrifice including as a means of seeking rewards and forgiveness from Allah.

The Guest of Honour with other guests at the ceremony

Committee members packing the meat for distribution

Festive Atmosphere Guest of Honour visiting an ‘open house’

and mass Maghrib prayer, led by Ustaz Md Nuzul Asmadi bin Hj Abdullah.

Religious Events

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Religious Events

Ukhuwah Programme organised by Al-Quran Club

The Al-Quran Club successfully organised a 4 day Ukhuwah programme for 50 participants from

ITB and UBD. The activities included recreational sessions, two ‘tajwid’ workshop sessions delivered by Ustaz Muhammad and field visits to Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran as well as the Syariah Court. Explorace Islam was one of the activities organised during the Ukhuwah Programme at night. The closing ceremony was officiated by the Guest of Honour, Yang Mulia Ustazah Hjh Kartini Haji Bakar, Head of the Ugama Unit, ITB.

Participants at the Hadrah workshop

Md Hadry Bukhary bin Hj Awg Yussof reciting the surah

Participants of the programme

The Exco Keugamaan dan Kerohanian organised a Hadrah workshop. A lecturer from UNISSA

facilitated the workshop.

On 13 July 2013, the Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (MPP) and Exco Keugamaan dan Kerohanian

(EKK) held their Tadarus at ITB Surau. It was attended by officers from the Ugama Unit , ECA officers and lecturers. Md Hadry Bukhary bin Hj Awg Yussof, Deputy President of EKK, led the recital of the surah.

Tadarus at ITB Surau Hadrah Workshop

�Staff and students at the Kampung Terunjing Cemetry and Tahlil Arwah

Cleaning Campaign in Kg Terunjing Cemetery and Tahlil Arwah

In remembrance of a member of the ITB Ugama staff, Allahyarham Ustaz Hj Ali Amat bin Haji

Ali Hassan, who passed away on 12 April 2011, a cemetery cleaning campaign was organised by Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (MPP) and Exco Keugamaan dan

Kerohanian. The event was attended by the Dean of Student Affairs, Cikgu Joffry Haji Bungsu and The Extra Curricular Activity Officer, Cikgu Haji Meraj Haji Suhaili.

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Dr Hjh Naemah Hj Basir

Staff News

Farewell Message from Dr Hjh Naemah Hj Basir(Assistant Vice-Chancellor 2009-2013)

I joined ITB at the end

of 1989 as a lecturer in the Department of Business and M a n a g e m e n t . On my first day, I was welcomed by two very friendly ladies from the administration, Hjh Hapipah Besar and Hjh Mariam Amit. I was introduced

to the Director, Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha Abu Bakar, the Deputy Director, Cikgu Abu Hanifah, and Haji Mohamad Hidup, the Registrar.In the Department of Business and Management , where I was assigned, I was the only local and the only woman in the entire Department. I was a bit shocked at first but determined to do my best.

The staff in Business and Management came from diverse backgrounds and nationalities such as USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India. They were quite loud and argumentative, especially in meetings. When I tried to say something in a meeting, no one seemed to listen. Everyone wanted to get their views heard. Surprisingly the conflict disappeared once we left the meeting room.

After about two years I was appointed Head of Department. When the Director informed me about the new appointment, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I tried to be positive and to do my best. It was not easy at the beginning, but with strong determination and hard work I survived and eventually gained the full support of the team. In fact, we became a very strong team.

In the old days, at the original site in Jalan Muara, we had to multi-task. All staff, especially locals, took part in all sorts of extra-curricular activities, such as sports, religious functions and cultural events. My favourite

sport at the time was “tug of war”. I joined the ladies staff team and despite the age difference we managed to beat the student team almost every tournament. The other significant event was the Teacher’s Day Celebration, when staff had the opportunity to show their hidden talents especially in singing. Another activity that I miss was Quran reading every Saturday with some colleagues. The name of our teacher was Ustaz Hasbollah. The participants varied in character and skill level, which made every session interesting. We really had a great time.

In 1996, I went to UK to do my PhD under the in-service scheme. When I came back to Brunei in 2000, ITB had moved to the present campus. Here, I have had the pleasure to work with various committees, such as CIPTA, Convocation, Orientation and many others. The group cohesiveness among ITB staff remains strong till today. Members of staff, regardless of their positions, always work together as a team.

Looking back, ITB has developed from its humble beginnings and has now gained university status. I believe that the success of ITB is due to the hard work and commitment of all “ITBians” with the direction from the top management. ITB graduates are well known for their employability. However, this did not happen automatically. A lot of hard work was invested along the way. I remember in the old days having to call companies to persuade them to take our students for placement and, after the final exams, to take them for employment. I believe that, to a great extent, it is the dedication and commitment of ITB teaching staff which plays an important role in shaping ITB students to become who they are when they graduate from this institution.

Time flies and it is hard to believe that I have been with ITB for 23 years holding various posts, namely Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Head of Department, Principal Lecturer, Head of School, Deputy Director, Acting Director and Assistant Vice-Chancellor. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the former Directors, Deputy Directors, Registrars and the former Vice-Chancellor who were also my mentors for putting their trust in me. I also wish to thank all ITB staff. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

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Staff News

The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei 4th Class Awards at the Palace

Strategic Planning Retreat

The Management Team and Senior Staff of ITB attended

a retreat at the Empire Hotel & Country Club from 14 to 15 August 2013. The goals of the retreat were to finalise the vision and mission statements of the University as well as to identify its core values and strategic objectives.

In conjunction with the 67th Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah

Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, three of ITB staff were conferred the Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei 4th Class (Darjah Setia Negara Brunei Yang Amat Bahagia Darjah Keempat) on 5 October 2013. The recipients were Pengiran Dr Haji Md Esa Al-Islam bin Pengiran Haji Md Yunus, Dayang Hajah Pusparaini binti Haji Thani and Awang Haji Morsidi bin Haji Kassim @ Haji Kasim.

Pengiran Dr Haji Md Esa Al-Islam bin Pengiran Haji Md Yunus

Dayang Hajah Pusparaini binti Haji Thani

�ITB Management Team and Senior Staff

ITB Expats attend Malay Classes

The Centre for Communication, Teaching & Learning (CCTL) has been

conducting language classes – Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese, Levels I, II and III for students since 2011. The instructors are hired from other institutions on a part-time basis. CCTL lecturers conducted Malay and MIB classes for expatriates and international students too. A volunteer, Jin Lang, sent by the Chinese government conducts Level 1 and II Mandarin classes for students and lecturers. She arrived in January 2013 and will be with CCTL until December 2013.The students are trained to conduct choral speaking in Mandarin and Japanese.

Workshops are also organised for Origami (Japanese ancient art of paper folding), preparation of Japanese food, “Sushi Making” and others.

Malay class participants with lecturers Hjh Mariam and Hjh Mas Ayu

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Non academic staff in the dialogue session

Staff News

Acting VC holds Dialogue with Academic Staff

Acting VC holds Dialogue with Non-Academic Staff

Senior Management Team in the dialogue session

Acting Vice-Chancellor addressing the academic staff

On 3 August 2013, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti

Hj Sulaiman, addressed all the academic staff of ITB at a dialogue session. She emphasised the importance of the change process that ITB is currently undergoing. She added that the change process was essential, following ITB’s upgrading to a full-fledged university in 2008.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor reminded everyone that change is inevitable and that it should be viewed as an opportunity for ITB to move forward. ITB wants to be recognised locally, regionally and internationally.

She encouraged non-PhD holders to pursue their PhDs as soon as possible, and informed those present that the process of renewal of contract would

On 3 October 2013 Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, Acting Vice-

Chancellor, had a dialogue session with the non-academic staff of ITB. The Acting Vice-Chancellor thanked all present for their continuous and tireless support.

take into consideration research output and other contributions. Regarding recruitment, she mentioned that, in order to ensure that only high calibre staff are appointed, the University now requires that applicants have an acceptable H-index and citations record.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor explained the need for the recent changes at ITB and welcomed questions from the audience.

A few members sought clarification on a number of issues, such as training, additional support staff, conferences, accommodation for students and promotion.

Soft Launching of inaugural ITBpulse

The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman officially launched our inaugural ITB

magazine the on 23 July 2013. will be a half yearly magazine showcasing ITB’s development and achievements. The inaugural issue featured the Crown Prince Cipta Awards 2013 and the BIBD At-Tamwil Uni Cup 2013 amongst others.

ENGAGE 2013 at ITB

Institut Teknologi Brunei

First Issue • January - June 2013

Crown PrinceCIPTA AWARDS 2 0 1 3

graces

BIBD At-Tamwil & ITB Uni Cup 2013Page 5 Page 7

16

Staff News

Meeting with Mr Yue-Wen Lim, Director of International Relations, NUS Business School

Meeting with Professor Er Wong Hwa, Nanyang Technological University

Working Visits to Singapore

From 24 to 26 July 2013, The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Computing, Dr Hjh Noor Maya binti Hj Md Salleh, and the Deputy

Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Dr Ang Swee Peng, visited the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, the Singapore Management University and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Their discussions centred on research, student mobility and academic programmes as well as the possibility of engaging their academic staff as visiting lecturers, and also engaging high-calibre professionals/professors on advisory panels and as moderators.

An in-house fire drill was held on 31 October 2013. Fire and evacuation drills were conducted to prepare staff and students for an emergency situation. The event was organised by ITB and the Fire Rescue Department.

Hands-on training Using a fire blanket

Fire Marshal Training and Drill

Comprehensive safety regulations for the University have been prepared by the

Health, Safety and Environmental Unit of ITB. Zuliana Hj Nayan, the Coordinator of the unit explained that the guidelines will ensure that everyone is engaged and encouraged to observe a culture of safety that will prevent injuries, illness and disabilities on campus.

On 12 September 2013, twenty ITB staff successfully completed Fire Marshal training, certified by the Fire and Rescue Department. The fire marshal team members are committed to fulfilling their duties for a better and safer ITB.

The Fire Marshal Team with Fire & Rescue Dept Officer and the Registrar and Secretary, Madam Jenifer-Hiew

17

Staff News

‘Road Safety Audit’ Workshop

Sustaining Change

Participants of the Road Safety Audit Workshop

Professor Richard Badham facilitating the session

Three academic staff members (Dr Tan Soon Jiann, Noor Hadijah Haji Abdul Hadi and Rozeana Hj Md Juani) from the Centre for Road Safety Studies (CRoSS) and Civil Engineering attended a four day training

workshop on “Road Safety Audit” from 31 August to 4 September 2013.

The workshop was organised by the Department of Roads at the Public Work Department, and facilitated by two road safety specialists from New Zealand. The participants also included engineers from the Department of Roads, members from the Royal Brunei Police Force, the Land Transport Department, and the Road Safety Unit from the Ministry of Communications.

The main aims of the workshop were to introduce fundamental road safety audit knowledge and skills to the participants and to enable them to eventually be part of a road safety audit team. This workshop is part of the continuous efforts by the Engineering Core Group of the Brunei National Road Safety Council towards improving the road safety engineering standards in the country. For the academic staff members from ITB, the workshop also provided them with an opportunity to interact with members from the National Road Safety Council and road engineers, and to enhance their knowledge and skills in this area for their future teaching and research work.

An open sharing session of the change initiatives that are currently taking place in ITB was held on

Wednesday, 18 September 2013. The session was part of a follow-through programme of the ‘Forward to Change’ workshop held in April this year.

Four teams were formed for this workshop. The teams had identified and embarked on change initiatives that will fulfill the aspirations of the nation and take ITB to a higher level. The teams are working to address issues critical to the transformation of ITB : Organisational Re-structuring, Curriculum Review, Cultivating Research Culture and Enhancing Visibility.

During the sharing session, the change teams presented the background and current status of their projects, the Gap and Force Field Analyses of the issues, and the on-going change process that is taking place. The feedback session that followed each of the four presentations provided an avenue for all members of the University to contribute to the discussion and share their thoughts on the change agendas. The session also enabled every member of

staff to keep abreast of developments that are taking place at the University.

The half-day sharing session was attended by Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ITB, the ‘change teams’ as well as the academic and support staff of the University. Professor Richard J Badham from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Australia, facilitated the session.

18

Staff News

Paper Presentations at Conferences

NAME COUNTRY CONFERENCE DATE TITLE OF PAPER

Dr Haji Afzaal Syeal SingaporeInternational Conference on Innovation and Information

Management (ICIM)

19-20/1/13

An Investigation of Perceived Benefits and Perceived Barriers of E-Businesses among Bruneian SMEs

Mr Matthew Harisson Smith

Malaysia

SEISMIC Geomechanics: How to build and Calibrate

Geomechanical Models Using 3D and 4D seismic data

21/1/13

A Fundamental approach to facilities location risk assessment and its’ relevance to supply chain network design: Using the Thai floods of 2011 as an example

Associate Professor Dr David Hassell

Thailand5th AUN/SEED-Net Regional

Conference on Chemical Engineering

07-08/2/13

Development of a Continuous Microchannel Crystallizer

Mr Haji KBM Shafiuddin

Morocco

Sustainable Water Use for Securing Food Production

in the Mediterranean Region Under Climate Change

(SWUPMED)

10-15/3/13

Supplementary Irrigation to Rain-Fed Paddy Scemes in Brunei Darussalam: A Potential Contributor to Food Security and Rural Uplift

Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Abdul Matin

AustraliaIEEE 2013 Tencon-Spring

Conference17-

19/4/13

Design of Microstrip UWB Antenna with Band Notch Characteristics

Associate Professor Dr Somnuk Phon-Amnuaisuk

ChinaThe Forth International Conference on Swarm

Intellegence (ICSI’2013)

12-15/6/13

Transcribing Bach Chorales using Particle Swarm Optimisations

Dr Haji Afzaal H. Syeal

Austria

The 21th IBIMA Conference on Vision 2020: Innovation,

Development Sustainability and Economic Growth

27-28/6/13

Understanding the CEO's Leadership Style Towards Enterprise Resource Planning Ssytems Implementation : Evidence of Bruneian SMEs

Mr Felix Weerakkody

Indonesia

The 13th International Conference of Quality in

Research (QIR) Symposium on Civil & Environmental

Engineering 2013

25-28/6/13

Reducing CO2 Emissions from Buildings and New Developments by the Strict Enforcement of Regulations Imposed by Local Authorities

Professor Nawaf Hazim Saied

Spain7th International Conference

on Advanced Computation Engineering and Experimenting

1-4/7/13CFD Simulation of a Vent Silencer : Diffuser Perforation effects

Mr Namasivayam Karuppiah

Indonesia2013 International Conference

on Business and Information7-9/7/13

Accessing the Construct and Content Validity of variables that influence Brand Attitude

Dr Looi Hong Cheong

BruneiICERI 2013: 3rd International

Conference on Education, Research and Innovation

28-29/9/13

A Problem-Based Learning Approach to Teaching a Computer Programming Language

Dr Md Abdus Salam China2013 IEEE Conference on

Electrical Insulation and Sielectric Phenomena

20-23/10/13

Measurement of Pollution Level of High Voltage Transmission Line Components

Dr Ang Swee Peng China IEEE TENCON 201322 -

25/10/13

Measurement of Harmonics in Different sectors on 11 Kv Distribution Networks

Mr Syed Bilal Hassan

China IEEE TENCON 201322 -

25/10/13

Standalone PV Systems : A Case Study of Rural Long Houses in Brunei Darussalam

19

New Staff

Staff News

Dyg Siti Rahimah binti Rahmat Lab Assistant

Awg Hj Haji bin Othman Counselling Officer

Dyg Nur Adiliah binti Ridzuan Worker Grade II

Awg Osman bin Haji Suhaile Librarian

Dyg Nurmultazimah Amalina binti Haji Bakir@Bakri

Library Assistant Grade II

Dyg Nurnuranurul binti Jasne Worker Grade II

Congratulations!

Name Masters UniversityDate of

Completion

Dyg Hajah Norazillah binti Haji Abdullah

Master of Business (Information Technology)

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia

12 Dec 2012

Dk Noralam binti Pengiran Tuah

Master of Science in Embedded System

University of Birmingham, UK

06 Dec 2012

Dk Rafedah binti Pengiran Hj Petra

Master of Science in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology

University of Southampton, UK

19 Nov 2012

Awg Saiful Bahri bin Haji Md Ja'afar

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems

University of Leeds, UK 21 Nov 2012

Dyg Hajah Mas Ayu Kartika Dewi bin Haji Momin

Master of Creative Industries (Professional Communication)

Queensland University Technology, Australia

10 Dec 2013

Dk Susidzaimah binti Pg Sulaiman

Master of Business Administration

Universiti Brunei Darusalam

04 July 2013

Awg Raden Jefri bin Radin Basiuni

Master of Management Universiti Brunei Darusalam

04 July 2013

Dr Ena Kartina binti Haji Abdul Rahman

Master of Teaching Universiti Brunei Darusalam

21 Aug 2013

Awg Haji Adi Mukmin bin Haji Sarbini

Master of Teaching Universiti Brunei Darusalam

21 Aug 2013

Pg Hj Alauddin bin Pg Haji Momin

Bachelor of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering and Management

Loughborough University, UK

18 July 2012

20

Student Achievement

ITB wins Prestigious National Level Robotics Competition 2013

The ROBOCON project was initiated in August 2012. The team comprised of engineering students from Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Programme Areas. The team worked

tirelessly for five months, working on various aspects of robotics, including electronic circuitry, software design, and robot modelling. The project required careful planning, innovative design, and most of all, exceptional teamwork and collaboration. With continuous dedication, commitment and determination, the team successfully built two fully working robots. They worked under an extremely tight budget of US$1500. The funding for the project came from the students and staff donations.








What is ABU ROBOCON?

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organisations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and to organise co-operative activities amongst its members. It currently has 252 members in 62 countries, with its broadcaster members reaching a potential audience of about 3 billion people.















ITB-ROBOCON Team

Manual and automatic robots designed by the ITB-ROBOCON students

21

Student Achievement

“Our aim was to win the national game. Now we want to do our best in Vietnam.” – Nuzul Hakeem bin Haji Awang Akup, the ITB-ROBOCON Team Leader.

ROBOCON, which started in 2002, is an annual robotics contest for university, college and polytechnic students in the Asia-Pacific region. Under a common set of rules, participants compete with their peers from other countries to create a robot using their creative and technological abilities in an open competition. This contest aims to create friendship among young people with similar interests, as well as to advance engineering and broadcasting technologies in the region. This event was broadcast in the country through the ABU member broadcaster and in the case of Brunei Darussalam, Radio Television Brunei.

This year’s theme was “The Green Planet” in which two robots had to pick up and place cylindrically shaped “leaves” in specifically located “rings” throughout the game field, which represented the Earth. Then the automatic robot had to pick up a rocket-shaped “bud” and place it onto the manual robot, which in turn launched it to the “moon”. The team that successfully completed the tasks within 3 minutes would win the match, achieving “The Green Planet”.

It was a remarkable achievement for the University since this was ITB’s maiden entry into the competition. After this year’s national success, the team hopes to successfully defend its title in next year’s competition.

The national level competition was held on 26 June 2013, in Brunei Darussalam. It was organised by RTB in collaboration with Science, Technology and Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre. ITB emerged as the champion in the national level competition, beating Maktab Kejuruteraan Jefri Bolkiah.

ITB-ROBOCON team members with the winning trophy and robots

ABU ROBOCON 2013 Game Field

THE NORTH POLE

THE MOON

THE POSITION OF THE BUDS

THE FIRST PARALLEL

THE COMMON ZONE

LIMIT LINE 2

LIMIT LINE 1

AUTOMATIC ROBOT STARTING ZONE

MANUAL ROBOT STARTING ZONE

THE RINGS

12 BLUE LEAVES

THE NORTH POLE ZONE

THE AUTOMATIC ROBOT AREA

A PICTURE OF A GREEN TREE

THE MANUAL ROBOT AREA

THE LEAVES STORE

(THE SPACE ZONE)

22

Student Achievement

ITB represents Brunei Darussalam in International ROBOCON Competition 2013 in Vietnam

ITB-ROBOCON Team before Departure

Hakeem, Lim, and Sally getting ready for first match

Friendship Exchange Programme, Hoi An City

On 15 August 2013, the ITB-ROBOCON Team travelled to Danang, Vietnam, to represent

Brunei in the ABU ROBOCON 2013 for the first time as the national champion. The team was accompanied by Haji Mohammad Adi Mukmin bin Haji Sarbini, an academic staff from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Programme, and Haji Hairone bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Senior Education Officer from STEP Centre.

ITB, Brunei Darussalam competed with International IT University from Kazakhstan and Kanazawa Institute of Technology from Japan in the preliminary round. In the first match, Brunei narrowly lost to Kazakhstan with a score of 20-30. Finally Japan won the championship and achieved “The Green Planet”.

The team leader, Nuzul Hakeem bin Hj Akup, said: “It was an unforgettable experience, it was quite a spectacle. Our robots may not have been the best, but we were certainly up for the challenge.”

The team’s software designer Sally added, “Even though we lost, we gained new experiences which encouraged us to further improve our skills and knowledge. All in all, it was an invaluable experience for all of us and we look forward to the next ROBOCON.”

The team instructor, Haji Mohammad Adi Mukmin Hj Sarbini said, “Judging from what I have seen, I believe Brunei has the potential to challenge the likes of Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. But at the end of the day, it is not about winning or losing, it is about whether we can push ourselves to the next level, and the key to that is to learn from each other”.

There were also interesting activities organised by the host during the five day event. There was a celebration dinner after the contest at Diamond Palace restaurant. The following morning, the host organised the Friendship Exchange Programme where all participants exchanged knowledge, experience, and gifts. In the afternoon, the participants travelled to Hoi An Ancient City, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next year’s ROBOCON will be held at Pune, India and the theme is ‘A Salute to Parenthood’.

23

ITB student teams won several prizes in the Tertiary Student Project

Category of the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2013.

The Autisay project, with team members Dk Siti Nor Bazilah Pg Zulkipli, Halina Jumaat and Abdullah Maidin won the 1st prize. The project was initially supervised by Mr PK Wong, as an HND final year project. The team was then mentored by Ms Jennifer Voon for the professional version entered into for BICTA. Autisay is a communication tool especially created for individuals with autism. It is an iPad application that can be downloaded by iOS 6 onwards. This application can help individuals with autism to overcome speech difficulties. Parents and guardians can upload photos and record their own voices in response to their autistic children’s needs.

The Brunei History Adventure Game project, with team members Ikmalina Hakimah binti Hj Mohd Yunos, Mohd Farhan bin Hj Ismail and Mohd Nur Huda Firdaus bin Jamil, won the 2nd prize. Their supervisor was Hj Idham Maswadi bin Hj Mashud. The team created an e-learning game based on the history of the discovery of oil which is covered in the Year 5 History syllabus.

The Wadihah Haji and Umrah Application project, with team members Nor Izyan binti Hj Hussin, Hj Md Saufi bin Hj Jamahat, Md Adli bin Tebian and Nurakidah binti Aripin won the prize for 3rd place jointly with Jefri Bolkiah College of Engineering. The supervisor was Hj Mohd Noah bin Hj Abd Rahman. The application contains information that guides users on the correct practices for performing the Hajj. Hj Md Saufi bin Hj Jamahat went on to form his own company, DotRoot Technologies, after he graduated.

Congratulations to all the students and their supervisors and thanks to all those who supported the teams in any way.

Student Achievement

ITB Teams win Top Prizes at BICTA

iPad Application - Autism EducateMe

Autism EducateMe developers

The Autism EducateMe iPad application was initially designed as a final year HND group project,

developed by Dk Siti Nor Bazilah Pg Zulkipli, Halina Jumaat and Abdullah Maidin. It is an educational tool for smartphones and tablets, which is specially designed for individuals with autism.

This application will allow autistic students to convey their messages more clearly and assist users in their daily activities. The contents of the application were derived from the manual method used in SMARTER. This manual method was developed by the founder of SMARTER, Malai Haji Abdullah, who is a psychologist specialising in autism. The group collaborated with Malai Haji Abdullah throughout the application development process.

This application was showcased from 27 to 29 April 2013 during the ASEAN Autism Conference, hosted by SMARTER and also during the Yayasan Hari Raya Celebration with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 27 August 2013. The students submitted their application to BICTA where they rename their application to Autisay.

The winners with the Acting Vice-Chancellor

24

Student Achievement

Students of HND Intake 26, Computing and Information Systems Programme Area, Faculty of Business and Computing, created

history when they won the Think Big Ignite 2 Business Plan earlier this year. They went on to form ITSYBYTES Company, a gaming and multimedia company. One of them, Ikmalina Hakimah Hj Md Yunos, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the company which was officially incubated at the iCentre as a start-up company.

ITSYBYTES has seven staff including some graduates from the CIS programme in ITB. Further collaboration between ITSYBYTES Company and MOE is in progress. The company is also engaging with the Oil & Gas Discovery Centre and the Brunei History Centre very closely to write game content and to develop game software applications.

With the supervision from iCentre and support from BEDB and Institut Teknologi Brunei, this company hopes to go global. ITSYBYTES plans to represent Brunei as an exhibitor at the Tokyo Game Show 2013 in Chiba, Japan. The company was a participant at the BICTA Awards 2013 and is applying for the BEDB Start-Up Brunei Grant Scheme Application.

The Journey of ITSYBYTES Company

Ikmalina & Noraidah after the semi-final of IGNITE 2012.

Ikmalina conversing with Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong at the E@C Launching, 2013 regarding ‘Cochrane and Marriot’s Discovery of Oil Adventure’ game.

ITSYBYTES’ Flyers – ITSYBYTES’ games ITSYBYTES’ Poster - World Travel Quest

25

Thirty degree students from the Business Programme attended a talk entitled,

‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives in Brunei Darussalam: Experience from LiveWIRE Brunei’. The talk was delivered by Mohd Fadhilullah Tudun bin Hj Hassan, a Senior Business Counsellor from LiveWIRE Brunei and took place on 12 October 2013.

The Business students are currently completing course work for a Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Module. This module introduces students to the main concepts and theories underpinning business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Students are exposed to several ethical dilemmas encountered when dealing with employees, the environment, customers and other stakeholders. Students are also given the opportunity to explore the CSR framework and understand the motives behind CSR and the impact of CSR activities on a company’s reputation and on society.

The input provided by LiveWIRE Brunei through the talk will enable students to understand how CSR

Talk on Corporate Social Responsibility

Student Experience

theories are practiced in the real world. ITB places great importance on ensuring the relevancy of its curriculum to prevailing industry practices.

LiveWIRE Brunei is a Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) sponsored community programme created for the purpose of stimulating the interest of the Brunei’s youth in business, especially those who are unemployed. The aim of the programme is to encourage young people, through training and mentoring, to venture into the world of business and become the future entrepreneurs of Brunei Darussalam.

The collaboration betwen ITB and Side Effects Asia Pacific allowed the current degree Year 1

students in the Computing Programme to be exposed to industry standard training over a period of three days from 26 to 28 August 2013.

Collaboration with Side Effects Asia PacificSide Effects brought in the Houdini Foundation and Fundamentals Workshops who have trained many industry professionals and students. The three day workshop gave ITB students an insight into 3D computer graphics and the type of work done for the animation and games industries.

Currently, the Industry Liaison Office is having discussions with Side Effects Asia Pacific regarding the possibility of hosting ITB students and graduate interns in their Singapore office. This would give ITB interns the opportunity to interact with interns from institutions in Singapore and other Asian countries. There would also be opportunities for the ITB interns to interact with specialist staff in their sister office in Los Angeles and the head office in Toronto.

Side Effects Asia Pacific is the AP HQ for Side Effects Software Inc., creators of the three-time Oscar Technical Achievement award winning software, Houdini.

Mohd Fadhilullah of LiveWIRE Brunei delivering his talk

26

As part of the effort to provide accurate information and guidance to prospective

students on academic programmes and admission criteria at ITB, the University participated in this year’s Maktab Duli’s Studyrama and Pusat Tingkatan Enam Meragang’s (PTEM) Career Fair.

During the one day Studyrama held on 27 June 2013, a talk on study options in ITB was given by Hj Ady Syarmin Hj Md Taib, Director of the International and Public Relations Office. The talk was attended by more than 70 A-level students of the college. ITB lecturers and a representative of the Registrar’s Office were also present to provide guidance and advice to prospective students visiting the ITB booth.

PTE Meragang also organised a Career Forum on 8 July 2013. The ITB booth attracted a large number of students enquiring about the study programmes offered by the University.

Outreach To Sixth Form Centres

Student Experience

Students discussing their options with an ITB lecturer at Maktab Duli’s Studyrama

uProspective students visiting the ITB booth at PTEM’s Career Forum.

A Talk by former Managing Director of BSM

A talk was given to the Petroleum and Chemical Engineering (PCE) students by Hj Md. Said Ahmad a former Managing Director of Brunei Shell Marketing on the linkages between theory and practice pertaining to

Petroleum and Chemical Engineering.

Programme Leader, Mr Felix Weerakody introducing Hj Md. Said Ahmad

27

Student Experience

MIB, CCTL organised ‘Bahasa Dalam’

On 9 November, 2013 Yang Mulia

Pengiran Haji Hidup bin Pg Hj Shamsuddin, Penolong Yang Dipertua Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara gave a lecture to staff and students of ITB on the use of ‘Bahasa Dalam’, a language used when addressing royalty in Brunei Darussalam.

This lecture was organised by Cikgu Mohammad Qusyairi from CCTL.

MIB Lecturer Cikgu Muhammad Qusyairi and Guest of Honor.

New Library Opens at ITB

On 3 September 2013, the new Phase 3 library opened its doors to students. It is very spacious

and is situated in close proximity to all the central services with an “under one roof” concept. It is close to the three main lecture halls, the Student Centre, bookshops and the cafeteria. The students now enjoy a new environment which is much more conducive to learning.

28

ICT and Digital Media Industry honoured at Yayasan Raya Event.

On 27 August 2013 was a memorable

day for those in the ICT and Digital Media industry as more than 1,000 individuals were invited in celebration of the Yayasan Raya event as a tribute for their roles. Among the invitees were also members of staff from Institut Teknologi Brunei. The event promoted the use of ICT to improve the quality of life and stimulate economic development.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam graced the 10th annual Hari Raya celebration held by Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB) at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas. His Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel.

The Monarch consented to meet the guests, prior to touring the exhibition by 22 selected organisations in the local ICT and digital media industry at the Multipurpose Hall.

His Majesty presented prizes to the winners of a short video contest carrying the theme ‘Raja Yang Prihatin’, to showcase the public’s creativity and talent in conjunction with this year’s Raya celebration that was initiated by YSHHB with the cooperation of the Authority for Info-communication Technology Industry (AITI) of Brunei Darussalam.

ITB invitees at the event.

Student Experience

MIB Projects

The MIB Coordinator, Muhammad Al-Qusyairi bin Haji Abdul Kahar, with the assistance of student researchers, has recently conducted

two research projects, namely ‘Kepala Meja’ and ‘ Malay Wedding Customs’ (that are no longer followed). For the former research project, a respondent from Kampung Saba and another from Kuala Belait were interviewed. For the research project, ‘Arrangements and Invitations: Royal Protocol’, the interview was conducted with the Protocol Officer at Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara.

With Dyg Hjh Aisah Binti Serudin, 70 years, from Kg. Saba.

With respondent Tuan Hj Ura bin Taha, over 90 years of age, from Kuala Belait

Num

ber o

f respo

nden

ts who

left th

e marria

ge custom

Jumlah respon

den yang

berka

hwin yan

g men

ingg

alka

n ad

at te

rseb

ut

Married Before Year 2000 Married Before Year 2000

Results of a survey on Malay wedding customs that are no longer observed. Hasil kaji selidik tentang adat perkahwinan Melayu yang ditinggalkan.

29

ITB students with Participants from other Countries in a video-conferencing session

On 24 August 2011, ITB established a Cisco Networking Academy to help students develop 21st century skills such as collaboration and problem solving by encouraging the practical application of knowledge

through hands-on activities and network simulations. This academy also prepares students to become industry certified Cisco Certified Network Associates.

Cisco Systems (USA) Private Limited organised the Asia Pacific NetRiders competition on 24 October 2013 at Singapore Cisco Headquarters. This competition offered a great opportunity for Networking Academy students to learn valuable Networking/IT skills through a series of online exams, and simulation activities using the Cisco Packet Tracer.

The ITB team from Brunei was invited to Cisco Singapore for the annual APAC NetRiders Competition.

Siti Nur Ajeerah Binti Haji Mat Ramlee and Sarah Leong Yee Hui, two students from the Computing and Information Systems Programme Area (Bachelor of Science: Internet Computing, Intake 1), represented ITB. They were accompanied by their lecturer Armanadurni Binte Abdul Rahman. They competed with 16 countries for the grand prize of a 5 day study trip to the Cisco Head Office in San Jose.

Cisco Asia Pacific NetRiders Competition

Student Experience

The ITB army cadets won first place in the futsal and second

place in the netball tournament for Royal Brunei Armed Forces Army Cadet Platoons in higher education institutions in Brunei.

This championship was organised by the Army Cadet Platoon of Universiti Brunei Darussalam in conjunction with its fourth anniversary. The two day event was held from 11 to12 October 2013 at the UBD’s Sports Complex and participated by four higher institutions: Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), and Politeknik Brunei (PB).

ITB Army Cadets excel in Sports

In the finals of the futsal match, ITB A emerged the champion after winning 1-0 against UNISSA A. In the netball finals, ITB was runner-up after losing 21-24 to UNISSA A. The Acting Rector of UNISSA, 543 LT CFO Pengiran Anak Dr. Haji Amiruddin Alam Shah bin Pengiran Anak Haji Ismail was the Guest of Honour at the finals.

The ITB platoon with their medals

30

Two ITB students were selected by TOTAL E&P Borneo B.V. (TEPB) to join the 2013 TOTAL Summer School (TSS) in

Paris from 30 June to 5 July 2013. They joined another 119 international students from 30 countries in the 8th edition of the initiative.

Syazwina Kuan, a second year student from the BEng in Civil Engineering programme, and Mohd Paydurrahman Hj Mohd Najib, a third year student from the BEng in Electrical & Communication Engineering programme, were shortlisted after undergoing a selection process at ITB and an interview at TEPB.

An Award Letter Presentation Ceremony was organised by TEPB on 25 June 2013 at the RBA Plaza. During the ceremony, Yves Grosjean, the General Manager of TEPB stated that, “The TSS programme offers the opportunity for students to examine and discuss key energy issues and challenges with managers from TOTAL and external experts.” The Dean of Student Affairs, Joffry bin Hj Awg Bungsu, represented ITB at the ceremony.

Student Experience

Two students from BEng in Civil Engineering, Gloria Lau Cheng Yee and Haji Mohammad Iqzat bin Haji Jamil attended the Asian Summer School 2013 held at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.

The two week programme, which was held from 18 to 31 August 2013, was co-hosted by AIT of Thailand and Chubu University of Japan. It was coordinated by Dr Sarawut Ninsawat from the Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (RS & GIS Department, AIT) and Professor Kiyoshi Honda (Chubu University).

Students from Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered to gain knowledge in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System implementation in the developing Asian regions. The programme aimed to increase deepen the awareness of issues in Asia, where rapid developments are taking place, as well as to provide learning opportunities for applying GIS.

Civil Engineering Students attend Asian Summer School

Syazwina Kuan & Mohd Paydurrahman at the Eiffel Tower, Paris

TOTAL Summer School in Paris

Participants at the Grand Palace

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Syazwina Kuan & Mohd Paydurrahman at the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Mu’Izzah binti Abd Rahman, a student from Intake 27 of the Higher National Diploma in Business (Marketing), participated in the ‘Viet Youth

Entrepreneur (VYE) Boot Camp 2013: Light Up’ event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 8 to 14 August 2013. The seven day Boot Camp was organised by the Viet Youth Entrepreneurs with the cooperation of Viet Nam University and the Stanford Technology Ventures Programme.

The ‘VYE Boot Camp 2013: Light Up’ incorporated an accelerated one week entrepreneurship course. This was facilitated by Professor Thomas Kosnik from Stanford University and featured the globally certified curriculum GEAR UP. The Camp also included speeches, panel discussions and workshops and campers received instructions and mentorship on how to complete a business plan. A highlight of the Camp was a talk by Mr Guy Kawasaki, Google’s Special Advisor from Silicon Valley. The talk was based on his recent book entitled ‘Enchantment’.

On 11 September 2013, ITB welcomed one of the industry players, Schlumberger (WTA) Sdn Bhd, to the campus for a recruitment session with some of our 2013

Engineering graduates.

The session was open to both HND and degree graduates in Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering who had a minimum CGPA score of 3.00. A group of 10 committed graduates took part in the recruitment session.

The students had to sit for a 1.5 hours written test and were involved in an HR activity culminating in a group discussion. Finally they had to undergo an interview.

The Schlumberger facilitator, Mohammad Sharizal Recruiting Manager for Brunei, Malaysia and Phillipines mentioned that Brunei is a good recruitment ground as the undergraduates he had come into contact with were generally highly motivated in their field work activities. He also mentioned that Schlumberger had recently recruited the first female Bruneian graduate who is currently based in Seria.

Thirty HND 27 Business students attended a half-day interactive workshop on ‘Achieving

Value Innovation through Blue Ocean Strategy’. The workshop was organised by ITB, UBD and the Young Entrepreneurs Association Brunei. The workshop was run by Dr Rahul Mirchandani, Executive Director, Aries Agro Limited & Founder President, Commonwealth-Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs.

The workshop was held on 21 August 2013 at E@C (Entrepreneurship @ Campus) at UBD.

Viet Youth Entrepreneur Boot Camp 2013

Schlumberger Recruitment Session for Engineering Graduates

Entrepreneurial Workshop

Student Experience

Guy Kawasaki, Google’s Special Advisor

ITB and UBD students working together

The Recruiting Manager briefing ITB students

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Student Experience

Seven hundred and seventy three new students officially embarked

on their university life at ITB on 23 July 2013 in a ceremony to mark the start of the 2013/2014 Academic Session and Orientation Week held at the University’s new Multipurpose Hall.Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of ITB officiated at the event. Also in attendance were the University’s Principal Officers and staff.

In her speech, the Acting Vice-Chancellor stated that ITB is not only a place to gain a degree or to determine a bright future but the University also wishes to see all its students contribute towards nation building and religion in the future.

Associate Professor Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman also pointed out that ITB has an active and dynamic student body that serves as a platform to develop leadership, teamwork and independence by carrying out initiatives in associations and by networking amongst fellow students. At the same time, students must know how to balance academic and co-curricular activities.

The new intake is also fortunate the new Phase 3 infrastructure was completed a few months prior to their enrollment. It is now ready to be used and the students were called on to use the facilities wisely.

ITB is committed to providing a high quality teaching and learning experience for its students. ITB still maintains

On 5 October 2013, 42 final year HND Business and Management students conducted a study

tour to the Immigration Department as part of their ‘hands-on’ learning of the Public Sector Management module. The study visit was organised and supervised by the Business Programme lecturer, Hjh Azizah bte Hj Annuar.

Another study visit was held on 12th October 2013 to the Golden Corporation, Kg. Serambangun, Tutong. The purpose of the visit was to expose students to the day-to-day operations and management of the business.

Starting Life at Uni

Study Visits by Business Students

its hands-on and ‘relevance to the job market’ approach. However, to achieve excellence in education, the provision of dynamic and evolving programmes must be delivered by experienced and well qualified lecturers.

Mrs Jennifer Hiew-Lim, the Registrar and Secretary of ITB, in her opening remarks, called upon the new students to make the best of the opportunity they have been given. The Registrar also stated that the University offers a total of 28 programmes. The 2013/2014 intake comprises 407 students enrolled in the undergraduate degree programmes, 125 enrolled in the Foundation Degree programmes and 241 enrolled in the HND programmes. Six international students have now joined the new intake.

New students on their first day

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Student Experience

ITB students and lecturer, Ms Thulasimani Munohsamy were

volunteers for the 23rd ASEAN Summit held at the International Convention Centre from 6 to 10 October 2013. The students had the opportunity to work under MOFAT and the lecturer was the Country Media Liaison Officer for India and the United Nations.

Volunteers at ASEAN SUMMIT 2013

Creating A Greener Campus

Recycling is an on-going project for the ECO Club. On 28 September 2013, the ECO Club organised

recycling for ITBians. The objective of this project was to create awareness among ITB students and staff of the importance of recycling for the environment. The ECO Club collaborates with Daikyo Environmental Recycling in collecting the recycled materials.

Thirty five Business students volunteered as liaison officers for the 34th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly which was held from 17 to 23 September 2013.

A Study Tour to Daikyo Environmental Recycling

On 6 October 2013, the

students of ECO Club organised an educational visit to Daikyo Environmental Recycling Sdn Bhd and were welcomed by the Project Manager, Mr. Jeffrey Hung. He took them on a tour of the site and briefly explained the recycling processes. He explained that most of the materials are packed and weighed before they are shipped to China and Singapore. �The collected recyclables

ECO Club Community Service

Volunteers for AIPA General Assembly

The compressed aluminium cans

Lecturer and student volunteers

Student volunteers for AIPA

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Student Affairs organised an afternoon session with the new cohort of international students for the academic year. The Dean of Student Affairs, Cikgu Joffry Haji Bungsu, welcomed the new students.

These international students are sponsored by His Majesty’s Government of Brunei Darussalam to study in ITB. Currently, there are four international students from Pakistan , two from Sudan, one from Uganda, one from Oman, two from Bangladesh, two from Mauritius, one from Bhutan, one from Uzbekistan and one from Myanmar.

They have also established an International Club with the aim of adapting well to the cultural diversity of ITB. The Club works closely with other clubs, thus creating a link between local and international students.

ITB welcomes International Students

ITB’s international students

Participants at the Conference

Dean of Student Affairs welcoming the international students

The Bachelor of Business Information Technology ( 2nd Intake ) students accompanied by their lecturers, Mr Soh Seng Hu and Dr Ulganathan Subramanian attended the ASEAN Financial Literacy Conference.

The Conference was organised by Ministry of Finance which was held from 10 to 11 September 2013 at the Indera Samudera Hall, the Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong. It was held in conjunction with the 23rd ASEAN Summit. The Conference was officiated by the Second Minister of Finance at the Prime Minister’s Office, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim.

ASEAN Financial Literacy Conference

Student Experience

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The ITB Futsal and Bowling student teams participated in the 8th Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) International Sports Fiesta in Malaysia from 28 August to 2 September 2013. During the course of the

competition, the ITB Futsal team showed some improvement in terms of passing, positioning and shooting. In bowling, one player successfully reached the Master’s stage.

International Sports Fiesta at UiTM

Track events in progress

Students competing in badminton Staff athletes

ITB Futsal Team ITB Bowling Team

ITB’s Sports Carnival 2013, co-organised by the Co-curricular Activities Section and the Student Representative Council, in conjunction with the upcoming ITB’s

Convocation 2013, was held from 18 September to 2 November 2013. The following events took place: futsal, bowling, netball, table tennis, badminton, darts and athletics. The events were held at ITB’s Futsal Court, the Silver Jubilee Court, the Multipurpose Hall and the Padang Kebajikan. The Carnival culminated with an official ceremony held on 2 November 2013, at the Royal Brunei Police Force Mini Stadium. Associate Professor, Dr Hjh Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman officiated at the ceremony.

Unity Through Sports

Sport

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