Brudirect.com: BSP, Shell EP Pledge $7.5 Million To UBD

By Zasika Musdi

Bandar Seri Begawan – Universiti Brunei Darussalam yesterday marked another milestone in its 22-year history with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and sponsorship agreement with Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) and Shell Exploration and Production (EP) International Limited to strengthen the university’s engineering capability, and support the drive to further develop the technological capabilities of the oil and gas sector in the Sultanate.

Under the MoU and sponsorship agreement, BSP and Shell EP International pledge to contribute a total of $7.5 million to UBD over the next five years. UBD will receive a total of $1.5 million from both of the companies each year, and the money will used to develop the university’s Department of Engineering Science and Faculty of Science.

With this contribution from BSP and Shell EP International, the Department of Engineering Science will be able to strengthen its existing programmes and introduce other undergraduate and postgraduate courses in engineering, such as Petroleum and Mechanical Engineering.

Signing on behalf of BSP was its Managing Director, Dr Grahaeme Henderson, and on behalf of Shell EP International was its Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Greg Hill. Meanwhile, UBD was represented by Dr Hj Junaidi bin Hj Abdul Rahman, the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Student Affairs.

Greg expressed his appreciation to the Brunei government and partners for their cooperation and support, which have enabled BSP and Shell EP International to co-create and apply a wide range of technologies.

According to him, BSP is the “smartest” operating company in the world, as it has more smart wells than any other company across the globe.

Dr Hj Junaidi bin Hj Abd Rahman thanked BSP and Shell EP International for responding to the recent call made by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during the 196 Convocation in September this year, in which His Majesty urged government organisations and the private sector to “contribute morally and financially” towards the development of UBD.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor hoped that BSP and Shell EP International will continue to be UBD’s partners so that it would be able to introduce more engineering programmes and establish a separate Faculty of Engineering at the university.

“With this significant sponsorship, the Faculty of Science will be able to expand its engineering programmes,” he said, adding that this would allow the faculty to take on a new persona to reflect its increasing role in the field of engineering science.

BSP has supported the Department of Petroleum Geoscience under the Faculty of Science from 1995 to 2006.

The sponsorship agreement is the latest in a series of collaborations signed between UBD and international institutions, as well as government and private agencies in the country.

Such collaborations have contributed to the development of both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes at the university.

On hand to witness the signing ceremony were: Hj Zainal Abidin bin Hj Mohd Ali, the Deputy Managing Director of BSP; Dr Zohrah hte Hj Sulaiman, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, UBD; and, Dr Lim Min Teong, the Manager of Technology, Performance and Planning Asia Pacific, Shell EP International.

Present as the guest of honour was Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad bin Pg Hj Abd Rahman, the Deputy Minister of Education. Also present were senior officials from the Office of the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office, Petroleum Unit, Ministry of Education and UBD.  — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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