BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MEMBERS of the American Muslim Community recently visited Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) to observe the university’s current research, while a professor from Harvard University also came to the university to exchange views on Islamic laws.

The visit of the American Muslim Community members was part of their four-day trip in the Sultanate to explore opportunities on trade and investment, particularly Muslim businesses under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, according to a UBD press statement.

The visitors were Imam Mohamed Magid, Executive Director of All Dulles Area Muslim Society and Abrar Hussain, Managing Director of Elixir Capital. They were accompanied by the Minister of Energy, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Kolonel (R) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar and Allison M Carragher, Economic Officer of the Embassy of the United States in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Also in attendance were the Vice Chancellor of UBD and Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) of Ministry of Education, Dato Paduka Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi as well as Assistant Vice Chancellors, Deans and Directors of UBD.

The delegation met with UBD researchers to discuss commercialisation and patenting opportunities for their energy studies, including energy-generating wind turbine, DSSE dye-sensitized solar cells that generate power, as well as a recent collaboration on paint coating with Pixela Corporation, Japan.

The delegation showed great interest in UBD’s research commercialisation prospects, and were impressed with UBD-IBM Centre’s Gene-P Super Computer – the first in the ASEAN region – which is installed in UBD and actively used by UBD researchers, according to the statement.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Professor Intisar A Rabb, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Director of Harvard University’s Islamic Legal Studies Program, delivered a guest lecture entitled “Contemporary Issues in Islamic Law” and engaged in an academic discussion on Islamic laws with graduate students and academics in UBD.

Acccording to Director of Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies, Professor Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, UBD encourages its students to attend guest lectures by academics from prestigious universities, and to engage themselves in intellectual discussions while exposing themselves to the different perspectives of the international scholars.

“This kind of intellectual interactions between the visiting academics and UBD academics and graduates would also help both sides to better appreciate each other’s perspectives and approaches to cultural issues, particularly pertaining to Islam,’’ he added.

The Brunei Times