The ASEAN Fisheries Education Network (ASEAN-FEN) + Leaders 2024 Symposium took place in Qingdao, China from October 24 to 25.
The event brought together 20 leaders from international universities and 10 representatives from ASEAN-FEN, including Ocean University China (OUC).
Representing Brunei Darussalam were Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Rector Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal, UNISSA Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Associate Professor Dr Hajah Rose binti Abdullah and UNISSA Director of the Ibnu Sina Scientific Laboratory Centre Assistant Professor Dr Cristalina Jalil Marsal. UNISSA, as Brunei’s first university to join ASEAN-FEN, is one of 28 affiliate institutions in the network.
The symposium featured a Global Conference on Ocean Cooperation and Development, where leaders delivered keynote speeches and participated in panel discussions. This culminated in the release of the ‘Qingdao Consensus on Sustainable Ocean Development of Future Ocean 2024’.
The presentations covered topics such as fisheries, aquaculture, the blue economy, and future collaborations with China, with the Sultanate represented by UNISSA Assistant Professor Dr Cristalina Jalil Marsal.
The event also included the China-ASEAN Forum on Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue Economy Development, featuring a question-and-answer session.
The delegates visited the OUC Laoshan Campus to celebrate its 100th anniversary and attended the ASEAN-FEN Leadership meeting with OUC President Professor Zhang Junfeng.
A discussion led by Professor Li Jingyu and Associate Professor Qi Zizhong from OUC on China-ASEAN academic cooperation, included presentations on OUC’s initiatives and potential joint programmes.
The event concluded with insights from experts on the future of China-ASEAN partnerships, focusing on talent development, research collaboration and industry growth. – Fadley Faisal
