BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 9th OCTOBER 2026 – Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), through the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development (OAVC-IEED), organised University Mentors for Entrepreneurs Network (U-MEN) 2026 at the Inspiring Hub, UBD, on Friday, 9th October 2026. The event brought together 19 mentors from academia and industry to share practical advice and help aspiring student entrepreneurs refine their business ideas.
The central feature of the event was an Entrepreneurial Showcase, where participants from UBD’s incubation programme presented their projects and emerging business concepts. Featured concepts included Gerak, a smart rehabilitation glove incorporating gamified exercises and progress tracking; Sensora, a sensory-monitoring concept designed to support emotional communication for autistic individuals; and SmartSoil, an Internet of Things (IoT) system for monitoring plant health. Other projects included BahJimat, a surplus-food marketplace concept aimed at reducing food waste, and BahMakanMana, an AI-supported platform for restaurant and café discovery.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr Afiqah Amin, Deputy Director (Enterprise and Commercialisation), OAVC-IEED, said: “Our students learn a great deal by developing their ideas through the incubation programme, but speaking directly with experienced professionals helps them understand what it takes to turn those ideas into businesses. Through U-MEN, we want students to ask questions, challenge their assumptions and leave with practical next steps. Just as importantly, we hope these conversations will lead to mentoring relationships that continue beyond the showcase.”
The mentor network drew expertise from across the university and the wider business community. Organisations represented on the mentor list included Young Entrepreneurs Association Brunei, Kotak Senyum, Brunei Innovation Lab, Hibiscus Petroleum, Jaitra Solutions, Kognitif AI and Harvest Moon Trading. The UBD mentors listed were drawn from disciplines including business, science, technology, education and health, enabling students to receive perspectives relevant to both their proposed solutions and their commercial potential. Equally important was the contribution of UBD’s academic mentors, representing various faculties and disciplines across the university. These included the School of Business and Economics (SBE), Faculty of Science (FOS), Faculty of Integrated Technologies (FIT), Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE), Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS), and PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences (IHS). Their involvement brought interdisciplinary academic expertise, research perspectives and technical knowledge to the mentoring process.
U-MEN is an OAVC-IEED initiative that connects student entrepreneurs with academic and industry mentors, complementing classroom learning with professional experience and constructive feedback. The initiative aims to make entrepreneurial development more practical and collaborative, while providing opportunities for longer-term connections between student teams and experienced practitioners. Through U-MEN Day 2026, UBD continues to strengthen its entrepreneurship and enterprise development ecosystem by fostering closer academia–industry collaboration and supporting students as they develop their ideas into viable ventures.