BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 6 November 2019 – The Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN) recently inaugurated its new President.

Professor Dr. Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan, the 8th Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been appointed as the new President.

In his new Presidency speech, Faisal Rafiq promised to strive to work together hand in hand with all members of APUCEN to move to higher levels in University-Community Engagement. This would correspond with the move towards promoting greater university-community engagement activities, which is in line with the motto “Community Engagement through Knowledge for Change”.

“I would like to encourage more partnerships among APUCEN members, reaching out to a broader community beyond our region, who needs our helping hand, and involving not only the academia and students but also the non-academic staff of all HEIs (higher educational institutions) members,” he said during the 15th Regional APUCEN Council Meeting.

Two days earlier, the President’s Inauguration Ceremony was held in conjunction with the 6th University-Community Engagement Conference (UCEC) 2019 at Tarindak D’Seni Brunei and Handicraft in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.

His inauguration is expected to bring APUCEN towards a new direction, and to position APUCEN and move forward into the global arena, to continue working together and deliver results as a single entity.

APUCEN has been working hand-in-hand with all partners in various disciplines to mould the communities as well as to co-learn and in helping humanity, in addition to its involvement in community-engagement activities.

Faisal Rafiq is currently the 4th President of APUCEN, which was initiated and launched in July 2011, with the belief that the HEIs and the community can unite to co-create knowledge towards enhancing the social, economic, health, education, cultural/heritage and environment of the community in the region of Asia-Pacific.

APUCEN had indeed moved far and is flying high; within the 8 years of being established, APUCEN has grown beyond the Asia-Pacific region, where currently its 'extended' members come from the USA, Germany and South Africa.

At the President’s Inauguration Ceremony, the former APUCEN President, Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail reminded all the members of the need to nurture the future generation and to ensure that they are developed in a balanced manner in knowledge and character.

“This generation needs to learn from the community and it is essential to instill the university-community engagement concept in them, so that this generation will be able to give back to society,” Asma added.

The Executive Director of APUCEN, Professor Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan Shau-Hwai extended an appreciation message and presented a short slideshow to the audience of memories captured with Asma during her term as the President of APUCEN.

This auspicious ceremony was witnessed by the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei Darussalam, Major-General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin; Ra’es of Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan, Dr. Haji Adanan bin Hj. Basar and other APUCEN council members and participants attending UCEC 2019.   

Text & Photo: Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aileen Tan Shau-Hwai/Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin