12th December 2020 – The two-day BIBD Youth Empowerment Summit kicked off yesterday with Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Abdul Mateen officiating the Passing of Baton Ceremony to the youth, echoing the event’s theme: It’s Your Turn!, calling for the youth to take personal leadership to make a positive impact NOW, without waiting to be told to or for the day when they assume key positions.
In his Opening Keynote address, HRH Prince Mateen discussed the importance of the youth making an impact in the community and in contributing in small and big ways to the realization of Brunei’s Wawasan 2035.
During the Welcome Remarks, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, the Chairman of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam and Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, expressed gratitude for HRH Prince Mateen’s support and active interest in the youth’s role and aspirations to steer them as future leaders. He also called for the youth to build resilience and make an impact, while underscored the importance of driving the youth’s progress rooted to our Brunian values of MIB, at the same time align the youth initiatives to the Smart Nation 2025, in preparing the youth for the digitized ecosystem.
Present at the Summit was also Yang Berhormat Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan, the summit’s special guests, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Brunei Tourism, along with 300 youth participants from 32 schools across Brunei.
This year, BIBD played the leading role of Youth Empowerment Summit as the Host Sponsor. Progresif was the Platinum Sponsor. CIC Environmental Services and Total E&P Borneo B.V. were the Gold Sponsors, and Brunei LNG was the Silver sponsor. The Summit is organized by Curious Mind, endorsed by Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports and Ministry of Education, and Brunei Tourism Board. The Summit also received support from a host of other networks including Jab Gym, Young Entrepreneur Association Brunei, Global Shapers and Young Professional Network Brunei.
After the Opening Ceremony, His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Mateen spent time to visit the BIBD YES! 2020 Exhibition, titled “Youth Making An Impact”, that featured the work of students from 8 different schools, covering themes such as Smart City, Sports, Education and Food Security which showed their innovative ideas in contributing to the progression of Brunei’s future. Students that participated in the exhibition consisted of students from Cosmopolitan College of Commerce & Technology, Institute Brunei of Technical Education, International School Brunei, Jerudong International School, Kemuda Institute, Micronet International College, Sekolah Menengah Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna and Sekolah Sukan Brunei Darussalam.
The two-day Summit consisted of plenary sessions where speakers, ranging from Brunei-based speakers and international speakers, spoke about topics that highlighted the power that the youth holds, further strengthening the need to empower the youth’s mindsets. BIBD YES! featured international speakers dialing in live via Zoom from Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Hungary. The virtual presence of the speakers allowed students to view the topics they approached through a global lens.
The Summit also had 27 Breakout Sessions that had a more proactive approach on learning, having onsite classes that gave students a fresher perspective through topics such as Arts, Career, Technology and Fitness. Some of the breakout classes were conducted in locations such as Tasek Lama, where they connected with nature, Jab Gym and Fitness Zone, where students got the chance to explore the unique sides of fitness, and even explored their creative sides at Laksamana College of Business, Mahakarya Institute of Arts Asia and Relentless Academy of Performing Arts.
BIBD YES! was capped by a Fun Run and Networking Dinner on the second day of the summit, 13 December 2020, to help the youth stimulate their minds through physical activity. The Fun Run was officiated by YB Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah. The trail was a 2km run that started from Sungai Kebun bridge and led up to the Horizon Seafront Restaurant, where the Networking Dinner was held. The Networking Dinner was graced by the attendance of BIBD YES! Sponsors, Supporters and various Ministers who had the opportunity to spend time with the and learn from the youth.
BIBD YES! is the first of its kind summit in Brunei that is a combination of both physical and virtual participation by both speakers and delegates. It is simultaneously broadcasted to 24 different schools to hundreds of students, while more than 300 students are physically attending at the JIS Arts Centre
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