Chinese President's Brunei Visit: Joint scholarship program boosts collaboration between two countries

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China and Brunei have seen an upsurge in their relations of late. One of their most compelling joint projects is the Chemical and Process Engineering Scholarship Program, a 2014 venture involving China's Hengyi Group, Zhejiang University and the University Brunei Darussalam. CGTN's Wu Lei spoke with some Brunei students at Zhejiang University about their experiences and hopes for the future.

Syahiirah and her 10 compatriots have been studying at Zhejiang University since March. They aspire to be chemical engineers in the future, and believe this joint scholarship program can set them on the right path.

SYAHIIRAH BINTI ABDUL WAHAB BRUNEI STUDENT AT ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY "In Brunei we usually learn theories, but here in China we learn more about the chemicals, the equipment use, we get to touch these equipment and we have more practical courses than we have in Brunei."

From the faculty to the curriculums, Zhejiang University attaches great importance to helping its students understand the very latest development in the sector.

SHEN WENHUA DEPUTY DEAN, COLLEGE OF CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY "We have tailored the systematic chemical courses for these students. We chose professors who can speak good English, and all the textbooks are also in English."

Actually these 11 students are the fifth batch from Brunei to undertake their academic studies and industrial training in China. They say they are benefiting a lot from the experience and not just academically.

ABDUL HADI BIN ZAKARIA BRUNEI STUDENT AT ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY "We are more exposed to cultures here, we get to know China better, we can experience different kinds of food, and we have different adventures in different cities like Beijing and Shanghai."

Petrochemicals are a major part of Brunei's economy, but the country lacks specialized talent.

As one of the largest foreign companies in the tiny south-east Asian nation, Hengyi Group is looking to remedy this through the joint scholarship program.

WU LEI HANGZHOU "In addition to academic study, these students will visit a chemical plant like this to gain first-hand experience of a real life operational refinery environment. And after finishing their 18 month study and training in China, they will be offered chemical engineering jobs at Hengyi Group's branch company in Brunei."

Among the 68 students who have taken part in this joint scholarship program since 2014, more than a third have graduated and are now working with Hengyi Group's branch company in Brunei.

NI DEFENG, CEO ZHEJIANG HENGYI GROUP "I hope our branch company in Brunei can further boost the development of the petrochemical industry there. And more importantly, I hope we are creating more job opportunities for local people and cultivating more local young talent and improving their skills."

Based on the success of Phase One, UNIVERSITI Brunei Darussalam renewed its joint cooperation with China's Zhejiang University and Hengyi Group in May. Phase Two will see another five batches of students being trained.

HE LIANZHEN, VICE PRESIDENT ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY "We also have created a model, a trilateral model, involving two universities and a private industry, and this already becomes a model of education collaboration between China and Brunei."

It's now hoped these talented students from Brunei can play a bigger role in deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries in the years to come. WL, CGTN, HZ, Zhejiang province.