Selected students from Brunei will undergo supervised work attachments with Singapore infocomm companies under an agreement between IDA International and the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI) of Brunei Darussalam, on the Internship Student Programme for ICT-related Education (INSPIRE).

The Project Agreement for the Cooperation in Human Capacity Building for ICT was signed by AITI’s Chief Executive Haji Yahkup bin Haji Menudin and IDA International’s Director, Market Unit Group, Mr Tan Lark Yang, during the Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) event in SIngapore in June. It was witnessed by Yang Berhomat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Brunei’s Minister for Communications, and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information.

IDA International is the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore’s (IDA) execution arm for public service infocomm collaboration between Singapore and countries around the world. The agreement with AITI comes under the framework of an existing IDA-AITI Memorandum of Understanding which was first established in 2007 and renewed in 2011 to cover several new areas, including an industrial internship programme for fresh graduates and students undertaking ICT-related diploma courses.

Mr Vincent Wong, Chief Executive Officer of IDA International, said, “We are delighted to extend our longstanding collaborations on ICT with Brunei and AITI to include hosting of Brunei ICT interns in Singapore. We hope Singapore will provide not just the technical exposure but a varied work environment for Brunei’s budding ICT professionals.”

The first group of students to undergo the six-month ICT work attachment will be four students from Institut Teknologi Brunei, who are taking a Higher National Diploma in ICT -related courses.

INSPIRE aims to provide opportunities for these students to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills through meaningful work experience and interaction with professional people in an actual working environment.

Besides ICT, the programme also covers media and broadcasting. At the same ceremony at imbX, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and AITI also signed a Project Addendum for Cooperation in Human Capacity Building for Broadcasting and Media.

“Project INSPIRE is an expression of the close and warm ties that Singapore enjoys with Brunei Darussalam in the area of media cooperation,” said Ms Koh Lin-Net, Chief Executive Officer of MDA. “Through this programme, Brunei students will gain additional exposure to how media business is conducted here and in the region.”

Haji Yahkup bin Haji Menudin said AITI will continue to foster the relationship and strengthen its collaboration with IDA and MDA for mutual benefits. “I hope our collaboration for this INSPIRE programme will provide the students a flying start as they gain first hand real organisational settings and challenging experience with the leading ICT and broadcasting agencies in Singapore.”