Brunei student receives scholarship to study in Japan

A BRUNEIAN student has been given the opportunity to further her studies in Japan after being awarded the Japanese Government Scholarship.

Siti Shaniza Ismail will be leaving for Japan on Friday to pursue her Masters by research in International Business Management at the Kwansei Gakuin University, more specifically she will be doing research into the economy of Japan.

She said that she chose Japan to do her Masters degree because it is the leading country in business.

"I hope to learn something to help Brunei, develop changes and improve the economy," she said when asked what she hoped to bring back once she has completed the course.

While she said she was excited to be heading off to Japan for the first time, she was also nervous because of the language barrier and the difference in culture, especially the language.

However, Siti Shaniza will be undergoing a six month intensive Japanese language course at the Kobe International University before starting her course, which will help her to overcome the problem. She advised other students to not let the language be an obstacle to their dreams of studying abroad, especially in Japan, saying, "If your interested and you think you can do it, why not?"

Siti Shaniza said that she was surprised when she received the call earlier this year telling her she'd been awarded the scholarship as she felt there were many other applicants who were more qualified.

She shared that she loved travelling and having been sponsored to live in Japan for two years was a once in a lifetime opportunity that she was going to wholeheartedly embrace.

Since completing her degree in accounting in Australia, Siti Shaniza has been working for an audit firm in Brunei. She said that she felt there is always something more to learn and that was why she wanted to continue studying.

by Zareena Amiruddin
Brunei Times
Wednesday, September 29, 2010