Students Eager to Learn from Indonesia Scholarship

Shinta Hapsari (C), first secretary at the Embassy of Indonesia, with UBD students who received the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship, Mohammad Qawi (L) and Nurhasanah.

Bandar Seri Begawan, 01 Sya’ban 1437/09 May 2016 (MINA) A student from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), who is among the two recipients of the Indonesian Arts and Culture scholarship, departed for Jakarta on Sunday.

Mohammad Qawi Hj Zainuddin, an Environmental Studies major, will be taking part in the three-month scholarship programme from May 8 to August 21.

Meanwhile, the other recipient, Nurhasanah Hj Mohd Salleh, who is majoring in Business Administration, will be departing on another date.

The two final year students will attend a one-week orientation programme in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, before they will be sent to a designated art centre.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, Qawi said he was looking forward to meeting and interacting with other participants from foreign countries. Although he is a non-art student, it does not prevent him from participating in the programme.

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“I want to get first-hand experience and gain a better understanding of other countries’ art and culture,” said Qawi, adding that the programme can help him to expand his horizons.

Qawi, who will be graduating in September, also hoped that the activities can help build friendships with other student representatives from different nations, including those from Indonesia.

Nurhasanah echoed similar sentiments saying that the programme is an important learning experience that can contribute to her personal development. “It is really out of my comfort zone, different field from what I am studying now. But, I have to push myself for my personal development,” she said.

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Nurhasanah, who had previously done her internship at the ASEAN Foundation in Jakarta, has strong interest in learning about Indonesia, which she described as a country ‘rich in culture.’

Qawi has been selected to participate in the scholarship’s special programme, which will take place in the art centre of one of the universities in Yogyakarta, Central Java.

Nurhasanah will be participating in the regular programme, during which she will learn about Indonesian arts and culture in general at one of the designated art centre.

The arts centres for the regular programme are located in Denpasar, Bali; Makassar in South Sulawesi; Surabaya in East Java and Padang in West Sumatra.

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Present during the send off at the Brunei International Airport yesterday was Shinta Hapsari, first secretary at the Embassy of Indonesia.

Organised by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the scholarship has been awarded to 658 alumni from 60 countries since it was established in 2003. The programme aims to cultivate a culture of cooperation, emerging from direct contact and sharing of culture among people involved in the programme, leading to thriving diplomatic relations in the region and worldwide. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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