UNIMAS students explore Brunei’s planning, governance systems

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Eight Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) students gained first-hand insights into development planning, governance and community issues through a Global Mobility Programme in Brunei.

Organised by the Development Planning and Management Programme, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the programme was held from Sept 7 to 11.

Programme adviser Gs. Dr Farah Zaini said the programme encouraged students to understand development through direct experiences beyond conventional classroom learning and academic discussions.

“When students see how development is planned and implemented in a different setting, they can make comparisons and ask more critical questions,” she said.

She said development was closely connected to people, place, governance and local culture, making cross-border exposure valuable for students studying development-related disciplines.

The programme also strengthened academic links between UNIMAS and institutions including Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN) and Politeknik Negeri Pontianak (POLNEP).

A key component was an academic visit to UBD, featuring academic sharing, student and lecturer engagement, alongside a Global Classroom involving Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

The Global Classroom provided participants with opportunities to discuss regional development, education, communities and contemporary issues affecting societies across the wider Borneo region.

Students also visited UTB, where discussions focused on potential collaboration involving academic activities, student mobility, research and interdisciplinary initiatives between participating institutions.

Another major highlight was an official engagement with Brunei’s Ministry of Development, exposing students directly to planning, land administration, housing and urban development systems.

The engagement involved the Land Department, Ministry of Housing and Town and Country Planning Department, allowing students to understand policy implementation through technical agencies.

Dr Farah said the engagement provided valuable exposure to how policies, institutions and implementation processes were connected, particularly within Brunei’s development administration.

She added that Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan shared a wider Borneo context, creating opportunities for collaboration on common geographical, social and institutional development issues.

Meanwhile, programme coordinator Siti Khatijah Zamhari said the programme combined academic learning, inter-university engagement and field-based experiences to broaden participants’ perspectives.

She cited the approach strengthened students’ knowledge, confidence, intercultural communication skills and professional networks through interaction with academics, students and practitioners.

A visit to Kampong Ayer further enabled participants to examine traditional settlements, heritage, community life and their relationship with modern development and urban planning.

The programme also strengthened connections among students and academics from Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, while creating opportunities for future teaching, research and student mobility collaboration.