On February 8, 2017, the U.S. Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan and EducationUSA hosted the fourth major U.S. Higher Education Fair in the Songket Hall of the Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong.
The U.S. Higher Education Fair also took place the following day on February 9 at Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Ali (SMSA) in Kuala Belait.
The U.S. Higher Education Fair had representatives from 16 U.S. universities and colleges with diverse educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. United States institutions of higher learning represented at the Fair included American University, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Central Washington University, Creighton University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, LIM College (Fashion and Business School), Miami University, Orange Coast College, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD),Temple University, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Massachusetts, University of Northern Iowa, Wabash College, and Western Michigan University.
The event was launched by U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Craig Allen, with Guest of Honor Professor Madya Dr. Haji Azman bin Ahmad, the Personal Representative of the Minister of Education, and Michael Shaver, Regional Education Advising Coordinator for EducationUSA.
During the Opening Ceremony, U.S. Ambassador Craig Allen stated, “We are thrilled to highlight the opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of giving our students a globally focused education and the skills needed to be successful in our interconnected world. It is also very important for every student out there to know that it is your right to have access to quality education regardless of race, religion, color and whether you require special needs, if you are a student with disability.”
The Higher Education Fair also featured representatives from Ministry of Education’s Accreditation Unit, Scholarship Division, Higher Education, and alumni members from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), the Brunei-U.S. Alumni Association, and the American Alumni Association.
The U.S. Embassy hosted this event in cooperation with EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State-supported network of hundreds of advising centers around the world. Each year, EducationUSA advisers provide millions of international students with accurate, comprehensive, and current information about how to apply to U.S. colleges and universities. EducationUSA staff also work with U.S. higher education professionals to promote international student recruitment.
