Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) hosted the second ASEAN University Network (AUN) Summer Camp 2025 with the theme ‘Green Stewardship: Preserving Biodiversity and Advancing Sustainable Development’ from 15th to 28th June 2025.
The Summer Camp was officially launched on 16th June 2025 at the Pro-Chancellor Arts Centre, UBD by Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Haji Azman Ahmad. The event aimed to prepare future leaders with the critical skills, collaborative mindsets and sustainability ethos required to build resilient and inclusive societies as our region confronts the realities of rapid urbanisation, climate change and technological disruption. The UBD-AUN Summer Camp 2025 answers that call by providing a multidimensional learning platform for students to explore ideas, engage with experts and co-create sustainable solutions.
Almost double the participation from the first UBD-AUN Summer Camp held in June 2024, this year’s edition of the Summer Camp sees 163 students from 38 universities taking part in workshops, lectures, design activities, and site visits that offer hands-on exposure to real-world sustainability challenges. The 14-day camp serves as a crucial platform for intercultural dialogue. With participants coming from across ASEAN, it offers a rare and valuable opportunity to appreciate the diverse perspectives, traditions and aspirations that shape our region.
Dr Haji Azman stated during the opening ceremony that “We must prepare in advance – especially by equipping younger generations with skills that will remain relevant in the job market of 2050. We cannot predict which jobs will arise and which will disappear.” This serves as a powerful reminder that we must constantly adapt and evolve to remain relevant in an ever-changing world.
The UBD-AUN Summer Camp 2025 highlights key themes such as environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and urban development, with expert-led sessions on biodiversity, innovation, policy dialogue, and heritage conservation. Through these experiences, students will deepen their understanding of sustainability. In addition, students will also have the opportunity to gain insight into career opportunities and professional development in the World Bank Talent Outreach Program, a series of initiatives aimed at identifying and recruiting talented individuals for various roles within the World Bank Group; the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), a series of dialogues which foster discussions on parliamentary cooperation and ASEAN integration; and the Future Ocean Changemakers Youth Forum – a unique platform to engage with experts, exchange ideas, and lay the groundwork for future advocacy endeavors.
Including UBD, 11 AUN Summer Camps are hosted by other universities in the region this year, each focused on different themes. The main aim of the Summer Camp is to instill leadership skills, build network on the soft skills while they are still in university.
UBD has been an inaugural member of the ASEAN University Network since 1995 and Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri Haji Kifle is one of its Board members.
For more information on UBD’s short term programmes, visit www.ubd.edu.bn or email globaldiscovery.ga@ubd.edu.bn.