Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd, a petrochemical joint venture between Brunei and China, have signed a memorandum of understanding with a local vocational institute, another key step in bilateral education collaboration and human resources development.

Hengyi Industries is a joint venture between Zhejiang Hengyi Group of China and Damai Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary under the Brunei government's Strategic Development Capital Fund, owning 70 percent and 30 percent of the shares respectively.

The signing of the agreement on Saturday with Politeknik Brunei, or PB, a local vocational education institute, was witnessed by Yu Hong, China's ambassador to Brunei, and Haji Mohd Amin Liew, minister in the Brunei Prime Minister's Office and second minister of finance and economy, Haji Mat Suny, minister of energy, and Haji Hamzah, minister of education.

Under the agreement the collaboration between PB and Hengyi has set up two diploma programs, one in laboratory technology, which started last July, and one in chemical engineering, which started in January.

Hengyi will work with PB and Lanzhou Petrochemical Polytechnic of China, or LPP, to run five new joint academic programs for PB students. The programs, which cover technologies for thermal power plants, water treatment, chemical equipment, other power plants and power systems, and storage and transport, will begin in July.

Training programs

In all five programs students will undergo two years of training with PB and LPP and one year of industrial placement with Hengyi. The diploma on offer is equivalent to a Higher National Diploma and accredited by Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council of the Ministry of Education.

Hengyi and PB said the programs are tailored to provide technical competency for Hengyi's petrochemical and refinery operation, in which students will be equipped with theoretical and practical knowledge required in the workforce. The joint programs are also in line with Brunei Vision 2035, which aims to create more educated, highly skilled, and accomplished people.

As part of the agreement, Hengyi Industries provided a conditional offer to the first batch of all 86 students, who will be given employment opportunities with Hengyi when they graduate. Hengyi will also provide students undertaking any of the new joint programs with a conditional offer once they graduate.