Dayangku Nur Hidayatul Fitri Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Othman, Samuel Tay Zhi Jian and Dayang Zety Erwinna Haji Ali Adin were selected by the Yayasan Foundation and Ministry of Education from a host of students for excelling in both academic and non-academic activities.

Dayangku Nur Hidayatul, a Science College student, said she was proud of winning the coveted scholarship, but also felt a big responsibility.

``It's exciting, but at the same time worrying,'' said the student, who will be leaving for the UK on September 24 together with the two other winners.

Dayangku will study medicine at Guy's and St Thomas Hospital, King's College, University of London. She said she was thankful to Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah for giving her the opportunity to further her studies, before thanking her family and college for support.

Meanwhile, Samuel Tay Zhi Jian, who hails from Sayyidina Ali Secondary School in Kuala Belait, said he was surprised to have won the scholarship.

He will be studying computer-aided mechanical engineering at the University of London School of Physical Sciences and Engineering.

Both students said academic excellence was in the family. Dayangku's sister, also a Science College student, was recently the recipient of a teaching scholarship, while Samuel's eldest sister is studying medicine in New Zealand.

Dayang Zety, the youngest in a family of five, said she was the first in the family to win a scholarship. A student of Duli Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah College, she will embark on a five-year course in medicine at St George's Hospital College of Medicine at the University of London.

Scholarship contracts have to be signed by the recipients, two guarantors and the Managing Director of the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation, Pehin Udana Khatib dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin.

The signing was followed by a prayer reading by Pehin Khatib Haji Mustafa to bless the scholars on their studies.