Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Universitas Balikpapan (UNIBA) co-hosted The 7th Borneo Studies Network (BSN) Scientific Committee Meeting (SCM) in Balikpapan, Kalimantan on 24th April 2025.
The meeting was co-chaired by Dr Joyce Teo Siew Yean, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) of UBD, and Dr Ir Isradi M Zainal, Rector of UNIBA, and attended by guests and delegates from BSN Member Universities: UBD, UNIBA, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universitas Islam Kalimantan (UNISKA), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universitas Mulawarman (UNMUL), Universitas Palangkaraya (UPR), Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (UNLAM), STAKAT, and Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK).
This year’s SCM focused on advancing strategic collaboration among BSN Member Universities and responding to emerging regional and global trends. Discussions were centered around building academic collaboration, seizing new opportunities for academic and strengthening the visibility of BSN Member Universities through innovative initiatives. UBD notably expressed interest in leveraging various opportunities that are available for BSN Member Universities.
The key outcomes of the meeting included the initiation of the BSN Collaborative Online International Learning (BSN COIL) programme to enhance transnational education efforts, a commitment to enhancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integration within BSN Member Universities’ curricula. The creation of the BSN Sustainability Blueprint Task Force, was endorsed to embed sustainability principles across academic and research activities.
Additionally, the establishment of the BSN Climate Action Alliance (BCAA) was announced, which will soon be launched as a platform to spearhead climate-related research and community outreach efforts among BSN institutions. Further structural enhancements were discussed, including the restructuring of the Borneo Economy and Business research cluster to better reflect the evolving economic dynamics of the region.
The momentum continued to 25th April 2025 with the inaugural BSN Roadshow, a dynamic new platform to showcase student exchange programmes, mobility opportunities and diverse offerings of BSN Member Universities. The roadshow featured joint presentation by UBD, UNIMAS, UPR, UNISKA and UMS, attracting an encouraging crowd of high schools students in Balikpapan, underscoring the growing interest in cross-institutional academic mobility. Representing UBD was Dr Rosnah Abdullah, Head of the BSN Secretariat, while Associate Professor Ts Noraziah Abdul Wahab spoke on behalf of UNIMAS. Both presenters enthusiastically encouraged students to consider BSN member universities as viable options for their higher education pursuits.
Concurrently, the Borneo Biodiversity Research Thrust meeting was held and lead by Dr Norhayati Haji Ahmad, the Principal Co-lead of the thrust from UBD. She presented the latest updates and outlined three key focal areas: Biodiversity and Conservation of Tropical Forests (Flora and Fauna), Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology of Local Plants, and Marine Biodiversity. A proposed collaborative project for 2025/26 entitled ‘Diversity, Distribution and Life History of Tropical Anguillid Eels of Genus Anguilla in Borneo Island’, with Principal Investigators Professor Takaomi Arai of UBD and Dr Komsanah Sukarti of UNMUL, was also introduced. The session continued with Dr Fiffy Hanisdah Saikim from UMS sharing several upcoming joint activities with UBD, including the ‘Mushroom Discovery Week’ scheduled for June 2025 at UBD.
The event series concluded with a visit to Ibu Kota Negara (IKN) Nusantara, where delegates explored future potential collaboration opportunities and discussed first-hand sustainable urban development initiatives aligned with BSN research foci.
The 7th BSN SCM reaffirmed BSN’s unwavering vision to promote education and research that meaningfully contributes to the people, economy and environment of Borneo, strengthening collaboration among BSN members and positioning Borneo as a hub for impactful academic transformation and community engagement.