Florida Tech and Piper Aircraft Sign Memoranda of Understanding with Brunei Technology Institute (Institut Teknologi Brunei)
MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology and Piper Aircraft Inc. signed separate MOUs (memoranda of understanding) with Brunei Technology Institute (ITB) on the ITB campus in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. The Florida Tech representative attending was Dr. Razvan Rusovici, associate professor of biomedical and aerospace engineering and a member of the executive committee of the Florida Tech Faculty Senate.
The guest of honor was Minister of Education Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong. ITB Associate Professor and Acting ITB Vice Chancellor (Dr.) Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman made opening remarks. She noted that the partnership provides for student internships, joint research and academic programs for students and staff members.
Also speaking were Piper President Simon Caldecott and Florida Tech’s Rusovici, whose speeches were broadcast on radio and television. Present at the ceremony as well were Dato Pakuka Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, acting minister of finance; Dato Paduka Away Haji Hisham bin Haji Mohd Hanifa, fiscal permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance; Dato Paduka Dr. Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, permanent secretary of higher education at the Ministry of Education; Awang Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji Ibrahim, deputy permanent secretary of investment at the Ministry of Finance; Mr. Daniel Shields, ambassador of the United States in Brunei; and other officials from the Bruneian Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and ITB.
Piper Aircraft is a world-renowned company that manufactures single-engine and twin-engine trainers, and personal and business aircraft; the company has become an investment for the Bruneian government. Under the MOU between Piper and ITB, selected ITB students will experience internships with Piper in Vero Beach, Fla. They will gain industrial exposure and augment their practical and industrial studies as they complete undergraduate degrees.
The MOU signing between Florida Tech and ITB will provide a platform for academic and research collaborations, including student, staff and faculty exchanges, joint research activities and academic programs.
Dr. Rusovici visited ITB laboratories and discussed research and teaching with ITB Dean of Engineering Faculty and Assistant Vice-Chancellor Pg (Dr.) Haji Md Esa Al-Islam bin Pg Haji Md Yunus.He also discussed future academic collaborations between Florida Tech’s Nathan M. Bisk College of Business and College of Engineering’s School of Computing with ITB’s Faculty of Business and Computingwith their Dean, Dr. Hjh Noor Maya binti Haji Md Salleh.
“We are extremely excited to be working on joint research and teaching endeavors with ITB and we are glad that our long-standing association with Piper Aircraft will be further enhanced,” said Dr. Rusovici.
