Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (NIIS, CASS), jointly hosted the Brunei Darussalam-China Forum 2026. Held at the Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA), UBD, the forum brought together academic scholars, researchers, and students to review shared achievements and chart new pathways for interdisciplinary research, talent development and academic collaboration.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Dr Joyce Teo Siew Yean, Assistant Vice–Chancellor (Global Engagement), UBD and Professor Dr Chen Xin, Deputy Director General of NIIS, CASS. The opening ceremony commenced with an official address delivered by the Guest of Honour, Professor Dr Haji Noor Azam bin Orang Kaya Maha Bijaya Haji Othman, Deputy Vice–Chancellor of UBD, followed by keynote address by His Excellency Mr Chen Shaochun, Ambassaor-Designate of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam. In his address, Professor Dr Haji Noor Azam emphasised that while 35 years of formal relations have fostered significant people-to-people engagement and knowledge-sharing, substantial potential remains to strengthen academic platforms, sustained research linkages, and joint inquiry into areas such as sustainable development, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and cultural heritage.
Across three structured plenary sessions, participants engaged in comprehensive discussions spanning history, industry and regional strategy. The first session examined the historical foundations of bilateral relations alongside practical industrial case studies, featuring presentations from CASS, Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd and UBD faculty. The second session transitioned to strategic alignment and emerging sectors, where UBD scholars joined representatives from Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (DST) and Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd to analyse digital economy opportunities and maritime logistics connectivity. The final session explored regional frameworks and new areas of cooperation, featuring insights from CASS and UBD faculty on sub-regional integration within the BIMP-EAGA economic corridor and on cultural diplomacy and creative industries.
The academic forum concluded with closing remarks delivered by UBD and CASS, with both institutions reaffirming their commitment to expanding faculty and student mobility, co-supervised postgraduate research, and long-term collaborative research projects.