Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman graced the opening ceremony and formally launched the 20th International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) on Friday.
Held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas, the ceremony commenced with a welcoming address by Executive Principal and CEO of ISB, Dominic Morley.
He highlighted how the ISB BGIC offers students and youth a wide range of educational experiences beyond the classroom, enabling them to grapple with the global challenges that world leaders face today—such as economic crises, food insecurity, and growing inequality.
“Active and experiential learning opportunities will enhance their development of essential soft skills and deepen our students’ understanding of complex global issues as they collaborate to produce feasible resolutions whilst maintaining international understanding, cooperation and harmony. “
Morley expressed deep gratitude to ISB’s partners and extended thanks to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) for their longstanding support in nurturing future leaders.
ISB also conveyed heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support from the Ministry of Education (MoE), as students and teachers travelled from across the Sultanate’s four districts.
“We also warmly welcome students and teachers from two overseas schools, from Malaysia and Japan, joining us here in Brunei Darussalam.”
The ISB BGIC Secretaries General, Zara Jeffri, Emilka Lim and Francisca Vega, also extended their appreciation to Her Royal Highness for her patronage and for inspiring young people to be compassionate global citizens.
“We are very pleased to welcome nearly 300 students from 23 schools participating in our Model United Nations-style conference, where we will emulate world leaders in contemplating serious global issues and work together to produce fair and practical resolutions.”
In the lead-up to the conference, training workshops were held for students and teacher-advisors at the ISB campus.
During the event itself, committees will deliberate, discuss, and debate topics aligned with this year’s ISB BGIC theme, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.
The conference will feature discussions and resolutions on key issues, such as the need for nations to provide free and equitable compulsory education to ensure relevant and effective learning outcomes for all youths.
Another focal point will be the importance of integrating digital literacy into school curricula to better prepare students for the future job market.
After the speeches, the ceremony continued with presentations from keynote speakers; award-winning motivational & public speaker, Hon Dr Stuart Lawrence and leadership expert, international frontline humanitarian as well as Founder of Race4Good, Linda Cruse.
Following this, Her Royal Highness delivered a sabda before officially opening the conference and presenting certificates of participation to representatives from the 23 attending schools. Mementos were also presented to sponsors and supporters in appreciation of their contributions.
As a token of gratitude, Dominic Morley presented Her Royal Highness with a memento, acknowledging ISB’s deep appreciation for her gracious presence at the event.
The 20th ISB BGIC, organised by International School Brunei in partnership with the MCYS and the MoE, is supported by Golden Tree sponsors Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd and Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, along with Silver Leaf sponsor Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd.
Bronze Earth sponsors include Dynamik Technologies Sdn Bhd, Brunei Fertiliser Industries Sdn Bhd, CFBT Education Services (B) Sdn Bhd, and Imagine Sdn Bhd, while in-kind support comes from Aewon Garment & Embroidery, TLT Enterprise, D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Interhouse Company, Air Cat Logistics Sdn Bhd, and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.
The event is also backed by Green Brunei and the Prime Minister’s Office in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Camp.
Present at the opening ceremony were members of the ISB Board of Directors, including Deputy Chairman Nicholas King, Haji Rashid Abdul Razak, Roy David Kurian, Sharon Tan, and Jorge Francisco Vega, alongside the Permanent Secretary at MCYS, Hajah Nor Ashikin Haji Johari, and ISB’s General Manager, Vienna Law. The event also saw the attendance of foreign dignitaries, school officials, and student representatives.
ISB BGIC is an annual student-led Model United Nations-style conference where participants represent countries to debate and discuss real-world issues. The initiative aims to foster students’ understanding of global citizenship and equip them with critical skills in research, public speaking, and negotiation.
The 20th ISB BGIC will run at the ICC in Berakas from October 25 – 27, featuring keynote speaker sessions, committee discussions, and the General Assembly.
This year’s conference marks a significant milestone as the 20th edition and coincides with the 60th anniversary of ISB, celebrating six decades of inclusive academic excellence. – Lyna Mohamad
