| Fizah HAB |
THE Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Todd Mercer, hosted a farewell gathering for Alana Tolman, a New Colombo Plan Fellow for 2015, at his official residence yesterday.
Present at the gathering were Tolman’s friends and colleagues from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD); representatives of the Brunei legal fraternity who hosted her as an intern throughout the year; representatives from the Brunei Government; and business leaders, who had come to wish Tolman well on returning to Australia.
In his opening speech, Todd Mercer spoke about the New Colombo Plan and future student exchanges between the two countries, including the next batch of students from Flinders University continuing their placement in Brunei.
Tolman has been studying at Universiti Brunei Darussalam in the past year, under the prestigious Australian Government scholarship scheme, and even joined a placement programme with the Brunei Law Society.
Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Todd Mercer (Left) and a New Colombo Plan Fel-low, Alana Tolman at the farewell gathering yesterday. – FIZAH HAB
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Brunei, and learned so many lessons that I will carry with me in the years to come,” she said about her stay in Brunei. “I want to thank UBD and the Brunei Law Society – specifically Rozaiman Abdul Rahman Advocates and Solicitors and Pengiran Izad & Lee Advocates and Solicitors – for mentoring me throughout my internship and providing me with a wonderful opportunity to learn more about legal practices in Brunei in a hands-on way. My classes at UBD have enabled me to deepen my understanding of the region and to approach my academic work from new perspectives.”
The New Colombo Plan is a flagship Australian Government initiative, providing new opportunities for Australian undergraduate students to study and undertake internships and mentorships in the Indo-Pacific. Its primary aim is to boost knowledge of the region in Australia, and build leadership skills, in addition to fostering interpersonal and institutional relationships.
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