Sultan of Brunei awarded honorary degree

The Sultan of Brunei has been awarded an honorary degree from King's College London. Through the award of this degree, it is hoped that the existing links between King's College London and Brunei Darussalam will continue to grow and develop. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah received the degree at King's on Thursday from the Chairman of the College Council, the Marquess of Douro, in front of an audience which included many King's students from Brunei. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah ascended to the throne in 1967 to become the 29th Sultan of Brunei Darussalam. Throughout his reign, His Majesty has emphasised the need to raise education standards in order to produce knowledgeable and skilled citizens who can enhance their competitiveness in the global economy, whilst maintaining their traditional Islamic values and cultural heritage. In 1992 he founded the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation, which funds scholarships for exceptional Bruneians to study at world-renowned universities. King's has been personally chosen by His Majesty as one of the universities his scholars may attend, and since 2006 the College has welcomed some 25 scholars supported by the Foundation and His Majesty's Government each year, primarily in medicine and dentistry.