Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), in its role as the Secretariat for the Borneo Studies Network (BSN), hosted the 3rd BSN Conference from 3rd to 4th June 2025 at UBD.
This year’s conference, themed ‘Smart City Transformation, Biodiversity, and Green Supply Chain in Borneo’, aligns closely with global efforts toward sustainable development and climate resilience.
The conference brought together academics, university representatives, professionals, and civil servants from across the region, creating a collaborative platform to explore transformative strategies and future opportunities for Borneo.
The chosen theme reflects both global priorities and Borneo’s unique potential to lead in sustainability. It highlights the integration of smart city innovations, biodiversity preservation, and the advancement of green supply chains—key areas essential for addressing the pressing challenges of our time. These discussions also directly support the five BSN Research Clusters: Borneo Biodiversity, Borneo Cultural Heritage and Ethnic Groups, Borneo Sustainable Community and Transformation, Borneo Renewable Material Science and Energy, and Borneo Economy and Business.
The conference aims to mobilise scholars, researchers, students, and professionals to share knowledge and research findings relevant to these clusters. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, participants identified strategies to harness collective expertise and resources. The expected outcomes will contribute to the development of sustainable applications and smarter solutions for the region’s future.
The conference officially opened on 3rd June 2025 with welcoming remarks by Dr Joyce Teo Siew Yean, Chairperson of the Conference Organising Committee and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) at UBD. Guest of Honour Dr Hazri Haji Kifle, UBD Vice-Chancellor, officiated the opening ceremony.
Dr Teo highlighted that this year’s theme captures the essence of the BSN collective commitment to innovation, environmental preservation and green growth. The discussions from the 3rd BSN Conference aimed to inspire new ideas for the region’s sustainable future.
The two-day event featured three keynote addresses and a series of parallel sessions covering a wide range of sub-themes, including: Circular Economy, Clean Materials and Energy, Biodiversity, Sustainable Urban Development and Blue Urbanism, Sustainable Transformation, and Climate Resilience.
Keynote speakers during the conference included Professor Dr Michel Rod, Vice-Provost (Strategic Enrolment) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Canada; Solomon Chang, Founder and Partner at ASJ Global, and Professor Dr Ir Isradi M Zainal, Chancellor of Universitas Balikpapan, Indonesia.
An accomplished academic leader and interdisciplinary researcher, Dr Rod’s keynote address offered a thought-provoking perspective on the role of the circular economy in Borneo and the wider region. He highlighted the importance of Bricolage which focuses on recombining available resources to address problems and opportunities.
Solomon Chang’s keynote address, titled ‘Smart City Transformation, Biodiversity, and Green Supply Chain in Borneo: The Importance of Carbon Credits’, explored how carbon finance mechanisms can drive sustainable economic transformation. Chang highlighted two types of Carbon Credit (avoidance and removal) to prevent emissions from being released and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Dr Isradi’s keynote address discussed the development of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) in Indonesia, which is envisioned as a forested, green, carbon-neutral city by 2045.
The Borneo Studies Network (BSN) is an international partnership of research institutions focused on Borneo. It facilitates cross-institutional collaboration among universities and research centers throughout the island. The network currently includes 13 permanent member universities from across Borneo.
For more information about the Borneo Studies Network, please visit: https://borneostudies.org
