Brunei plans to allow private universities

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's government plans to approve the establishment of the country's first private university by September next year, The Brunei Times reported Thursday. The sultanate is to set up an international university of technology and management "to support the government's objective to make Brunei an education hub in the region and in the world," the report said.

The president of the teachers' association said Brunei would provide the infrastructure and hoped to attract international investors.

There are plans to initially employ teachers from other member states of the Association of South-East Asian Nations until the university was fully up and running, also hoping that this would help to attract students from all around the world, the report said.

Currently, Brunei has only two universities, both under government control, to cater for a population of around 398,000 people.