Hosted by Universiti Brunei Darussalam and funded by European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme, Dr. Gabriel Facal is currently doing his postdoctoral research on trans-regional continuities of the martial art techniques in the Malay World. Prior to his attachment at UBD, Dr. Gabriel had been researching about the link between local authority structures and political institutions at the west of Java and the south of Sumatra, Indonesia. He is a member at Institute de recherches Asiatiques (IrAsia) of Aix-Marseille Universite, France.

Having travelled to the other parts of Borneo, Dr. Gabriel has a story to tell and compare from his six months stay in Brunei Darussalam when he returns back to his home country France later. As a sport loving academic, he says he hasn’t missed out much as far as his physical fitness routines were concerned. “I go to the gym at the sports complex, go jogging and swimming at the beach, and I do perform with some martial art clubs in Brunei”, he shares. Dr. Gabriel also shares his appreciation for the facilities provided by the university such as his own office with full-time fair internet speed, the library, computer centre, labs and the well-equipped gymnasium.

As a nature loving person, Dr. Gabriel expresses his appreciation for the natural endowments of Brunei Darussalam. He has visited some of Brunei’s famous tourist spots such as the Temburong National Park and to him it was an addition to his exciting experiences. “You know Brunei has a geographical advantage. It’s well positioned and that adds to its natural beauty and this privileged nature should be a common matter of preservation for all the students. Seemingly small actions such as picking littered rubbish and plastics for proper disposal and recycling, can be very rewarding to this beautiful nature”, he adds.

As an anthropologist, Dr. Gabriel has been paying keen attention to particular social traits and shares his experience with the local Brunei culture. “The Bruneian students and people in general are quiet, humble and shy people… it is very different from my home country which I find is a good thing.” Though, Dr. Gabriel wishes the locals would be less shy to interact with him in Bahasa Melayu, as not only can he speak Indonesian Malay, he is also keen to learn the local Brunei-Malay dialects and culture. He shares that the local students are more comfortable to interact in English.

Dr.Gabriel is a fascinating person and so was interviewing him. His lifestyle with high academic achievements is an implication that there is no doubt he has been a good company. He has been under the supervision of Associate Professor Mohd Gary Jones of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. “Yes he has indeed been of great help!”, when asked about his assigned supervisor at UBD. Dr. Gabriel further states that he is so grateful to all the staff of Anthropology department, Asian Studies Institute and Linguistic department for their respective help and support. “I have been very well received and the exchanges were fruitful”, he concludes.