The first cohort of Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) Masters of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) departed for the United States in December 2014 to begin their semester at one of IPS’ partner policy schools. All students from the cohort, comprising citizens of East Asian Summit (EAS) participating countries – the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia Federation and Brunei – have successfully applied and been accepted to IPS’ partner policy schools in the United States.
The unique programme offers scholarships to EAS participating countries to undertake the MPPM Programme in Universiti Brunei Darussalam. The objective of the MPPM scholarship is to help strengthen cooperation in higher education and people-to-people linkages amongst EAS countries.
The MPPM is a unique interdisciplinary programme that focuses on policy areas that are distinctive to Brunei Darussalam, namely: Islamic Governance & International Relations, Energy Policy and Management, and Environmental Policy and Management. This national perspective is blended with a global outlook whereby during the 18-month duration of the programme, the MPPM students will spend 12 months in UBD and their third semester in one of the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) partner policy schools in the United States.
IPS partners with four of the world’s leading schools of public policy: the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, the School of Public Policy at Maryland University, the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. The programme also features a two-week study visit to Washington, D.C. where students will meet people from key policy-making institutions including the House of Congress, policy think tanks, and non-profit sectors.
Currently spending his third semester in School of Public Policy in University of Maryland, Muhd Khairul Anwar Hj. Shahari found the programme both challenging and rewarding. The lectures and academic experiences of the programme was “beyond (his) expectations” as the Masters candidate learned to adjust to a different academic settings in the US, and engage in discussions with a diverse group in a student-centric learning environment.
“It (is) like a new playing field. People here are so sharp so I have to bring in my ‘A’ game otherwise you will be left behind and not be able to get involved in the discussion,” he shared.
Virgemarie A. Salazar, an MPPM candidate from the Philippines, is currently spending her semester at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in Washington, D.C. She said the MPPM programme has offered her in-depth understanding of policymaking and the impact of public policy through active classroom participation and exchange of ideas with her classmates and lecturer.
As a foreign affairs research specialist at the Foreign Service Institute in Manila, Philippines, Virgemarie added that she has gained valuable skills and knowledge in doing policy analysis, which can help her conduct more evidence-based research for her workplace.
MPPM, being a unique interdisciplinary programme, aims to develop high calibre, transformational leaders in public management capable of both formulating and critically reviewing policy as well as managing its implementation to meet the nation’s developmental demands.
Since the university boosted its internationalization efforts, UBD is linked with the world’s most prestigious universities in student exchanges and research collaborations. UBD has seen an increase of international students by 10% as of 2010. In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings, UBD ranked 11th in inbound exchange students, 4th in outbound exchange students and 7th in international faculty.
