| Azlan Othman |
EXPLORING opportunities for educational collaboration between Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and three renowned universities in the Republic of Turkey – Manmara, Istanbul and Ankara – especially on Islamic education, was the highlight of the discussions between the Ambassador of Turkey to Brunei Darussalam, Fikret Oguz Ates and the Rector of UNISSA Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, yesterday at UNISSA.
Turkey has 200 universities and the country has offered scholarships to Bruneian students to further their studies, which is fully sponsored by the republic.
The scholarship is even more interesting with the opportunity to attend language courses either Arabic or Turkish for free. UNISSA sees this as more relevant in view of Islamic studies which is a niche for UNISSA.
Meanwhile, starting in 2015, the Turkish envoy said the three universities that stand in the arena of Islamic studies have started the programmes with Arabic as the language of instruction, where previously they used Turkish and English only.
Ambassador of Turkey to Brunei Darussalam, Fikret Oguz Ates, with Rector of UNISSA Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal. – AZLAN OTHMAN
In addition, the scholarships offered by the Turkish government are not only limited to students but also open to academics through fellow scholarships offered by the Turkish government for research purposes.
Discussions between the two sides also touch on the opportunities for the exchange of students and staff of UNISSA to increase the abilities and skills through learning and teaching experience at prestigious institutions abroad.
The Turkish embassy is also willing to help liaise in establishing any collaboration with any institution in the two countries known for its rich Muslim heritage.
Other officials from the Turkish embassy include Burcu Erdem, First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy in Brunei Darussalam.
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