INTRODUCTION
The Presidential Conference is an annual forum organized by The Brunei Students’ Union in the United Kingdom and Eire (BSU) to congregate leaders of Bruneian students societies in the UK and other student body leaders for a series of discussions on current issues concerning Bruneian students in higher education, both local and international.
The first Conference was held in Brunei Hall, London in 2010. Since then, a total of six forums have been organized both in Brunei and the United Kingdom: in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This year’s Conference will represent the eighth installment of the Presidential Conference.
The forum this year will be divided into two sessions, the first of which is a dialogue session between BSU and UK society leaders aimed firstly to clarify housekeeping matters, which may then lead to a collective formulation of an integrated plan of events that best serves BSU’s larger purpose of unifying Bruneian students in the UK and mobilizing them in the course of Vision 2035.
As such, this session will also provide the opportunity to society leaders and representatives to vocalize issues being faced within their societies. The latter half of the day will involve a moderated panel discussion with invited guests from governmental and non-governmental agencies. The content of the second session focuses on issues pertaining to Brunei’s economic development in the context of Vision 2035, particularly the role of students and graduates as assets.
The first Conference was held in Brunei Hall, London in 2010. Since then, a total of six forums have been organized both in Brunei and the United Kingdom: in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This year’s Conference will represent the eighth installment of the Presidential Conference.
The forum this year will be divided into two sessions, the first of which is a dialogue session between BSU and UK society leaders aimed firstly to clarify housekeeping matters, which may then lead to a collective formulation of an integrated plan of events that best serves BSU’s larger purpose of unifying Bruneian students in the UK and mobilizing them in the course of Vision 2035.
As such, this session will also provide the opportunity to society leaders and representatives to vocalize issues being faced within their societies. The latter half of the day will involve a moderated panel discussion with invited guests from governmental and non-governmental agencies. The content of the second session focuses on issues pertaining to Brunei’s economic development in the context of Vision 2035, particularly the role of students and graduates as assets.
THEME
This year’s conference will have the theme of:
Frame of Mind: The 21st Century Youth
It will center around but not limited to the two contemporary issues that the youth are currently facing; employability and entrepreneurship. Brunei’s unemployment rate stood at 6.9% in 2014 which is more than double the ASEAN average which is why It is crucial for youth to have set of plans and motivation, as well as independence embedded in them to continue their career path. We also believe that in order for youth to be more progressive is to not limit themselves to one path solely after completing their studies but to branch out into different sectors using the skills that they have gained over the years to drive the economic growth. This conference aims to ensure that the youth knows their role and importance that they have to play in the contribution of the national development of the country, whilst at the same time, bringing their aspiration and Brunei Darussalam internationally.
LOCATION
Press Conference Room, International Connection Centre, Berakas
