BSUxGAIA Seminar Series: Restructuring Regional Economies

The Global Awareness and Impact Alliance (GAIA) in partnership with the Brunei Students’ Union in the United Kingdom and Eire (BSUnion) hosted the second of a three-part seminar series at the Institute of Leadership, Innovation, and Advancement (ILIA), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). This series titled ‘Building a Post-Pandemic Global Society’ sought to fuse the novel ideas of university students with the insights of an expert speaker in an effort to build preparedness to face a post-pandemic world. The theme for the seminar centred on how the COVID-19 virus is ‘Restructuring the Regional Economy’ as national economies worldwide have witnessed rising unemployment rates, fluctuating commodity prices, and readjusted state budgets. 


The seminar opened with welcoming remarks from GAIA Co-Founder Dr. Asyura Salleh and General Secretary of BSUnion Nazurah Hapiz. The speakers for this seminar were undergraduate students Abdullah Umar (BA Politics and Economics, Newcastle University), Michael Shie (BA Economics, Durham University), Ameerah Kasmirhan (BA Architecture, Newcastle University), and expert speaker Yazid Mahadi, CFA. Moderated by GAIA Project Manager Nadeeya Salleh, the seminar raised thought-provoking points on how the pandemic has restructured the global and regional economic landscapes by highlighting the importance of effective governance in striking a balance between the protection of economic and public health. The seminar also observed how the global economy has shifted to the East during the pandemic period, which is also ushering in a more digitised form of globalisation. The seminar also called for the audience to begin rethinking wealth in a more holistic way rather than in monetary terms to encourage a more regenerative economy. The audience was given food for thought on what the global economy could look like, and the opportunities it will present once the world enters a post-pandemic era. 
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The seminars have been open to the public. The final seminar in this three-part series on ‘Building a Post-Pandemic Global Society’ will be held on 13th August. This seminar will focus on how COVID-19 has reshaped social policy and is forcing us to reflect on pressing societal concerns amid a global pandemic.