THE inauguration ceremony of the Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology (CCCT), was held in their new premises last night, in conjunction with their graduation ceremony that took place at the Sri Patik Brasserie in Jaya Setia Square.

The guest of honour for the event was Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, the Deputy Minister of Education. Also present in the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary (Core Education Unit), Datin Paduka Apsah Hj Abdul Majid and the Director General of Education Dk Hjh Mastoli Pg Seri Indera Pg Hj Ismail.

The college that was previously located at Jalan Telanai, had an initial intake of 54 students but has gradually increased to 120 students. In compliance with the rules and regulations from the Ministry of Education, with regards to providing adequate facilities, the college had to relocate to Jaya Setia Square to accommodate the increase in students.

In the opening remarks by Aziz Latip, chairman of CCCT, he highlighted that the college is fully accredited by the Ministry of Education and all the courses were recognised by many international universities while some of CCCT's students have pursued their education abroad.

In his speech, Pg Dato Dr Hj Mohammad says that he always believes that the new building is well prepared and more capable in providing a conducive environment with adequate facilities .This has enabled the students to be given an opportunity to obtain quality teaching and learning experience. He continued by saying that these efforts from the private sector are very much appreciated because it enhances the strong alliance between the private sector and the government in expanding an effective system of education in this country. The need to create a pool of knowledge workers are in line with the government aspiration to enhance the economic sustainability that would be complemented with a skilled labour force. He also equally stressed the importance of education that would be pivotal in improving the opportunity of Bruneians obtaining employment.

He stressed that with the existence of colleges such as CCCT, students are able to achieve their dream of pursuing an education without the need of going abroad and mitigating their expenses.

He further added that another important aspect, is that the college has been providing various programmes with the approval obtained from the National Accreditation Council Brunei Darussalam, which naturally is a benefit if they would be interested to serve in the public sector.

He hoped that the college would continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Education which is vital in ensuring that the quality and standards of education in the country is maintained always at the most optimum level.

"This means we have to closely monitor the quality of lecturers, academic syllabus, facilities, quality of exams, quality of students, and in fact the morale and attitude of students must also be enhanced so that it follows guidelines set by the Ministry of Education and in line with our country's concept Melayu Islam Beraja that emphasises on aqidah and syariah, as a pillar of our life, and traditional customs which we inherited as the culture of our nation.

I strongly believe that students qualified from this college will have the opportunity to pursue further studies in higher institute of education within the country or abroad and also find employment that is suited for the certificate and diploma that they have obtained from this college,"says Pg Dato Dr Hj Mohammad.

After the cutting of the ribbon the deputy minister accompanied by the other distinguished guests toured the campus and viewed the facilities that were provided in the college.

Hj Mostapha Hj Matali, one of the students who graduated with credit, gave a speech of appreciation at the ceremony.

Hj Mostapha, who works for the government, started his course at CCCT at the age of 42. He said in his speech that his main objective for continuing his education at CCCT was not to gain a pay rise or a promotion, but to gain knowledge and the respect of being a learned man.

"I have made a promise to myself that I would be pursuing my education. The need to understand various disciplines prompted me to further my education in CCCT. The courses taught at this college has enabled me to diversify my approach during work," Hj Mostapha said.

There were more than 100 guests attending the event where 13 students from the college graduated, after receiving their Certificates for International Advanced Diplomas in accounting.

CCCT is located in Jaya Setia Square, Berakas and offer a range of commerce and ICT related courses where students would have the choice to pursue courses and can graduate with either certificates or diplomas.

Courtesy of: The Brunei Times

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