The 2nd Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), a featured event of UTB-STE Connect 2025, officially commenced at the School of Applied Sciences and Mathematics Building, bringing together women leaders from both public and private sectors to engage in meaningful dialogue on the evolving role of women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era.
Organised by UTB in collaboration with the Brunei Affiliate of the Society of Women Engineers, the two-day forum carries the theme “Leading with Intelligence: Women Shaping the Artificial Intelligence Revolution.” It aims to empower and inspire women leaders to be catalysts for innovation, transformation, and sustainability in the digital economy.
The event brought together 50 early and mid-level women leaders from various government and private sectors, recognising their growing contributions as innovators, strategists, and decision-makers in Brunei Darussalam’s technological landscape.
The event began with the Recital of Surah Al-Fatihah, followed by opening remarks by Dr Syazana Abdullah Lim, Chairperson of the 2nd UTB Women’s Leadership Forum. In her address, she emphasised the importance of equipping women with digital leadership skills and confidence to navigate the fast-evolving technological landscape.
The morning session featured a keynote address titled “AI-Driven Futures: Enabling and Empowering Women in the Digital Economic Transformation” delivered by Mr Chern Y. Loo, Co-Founder and Manager of Springhill Farm and ORCA AI Solutions. His presentation explored how AI-driven innovation can advance women’s participation and leadership across sectors.
A forum discussion on “Unlocking Women’s Potential in the Digital Age – The Power of Innovation” followed, featuring Yang Mulia Hajah Sofiah Haji Umar, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd; Yang Mulia Dr Abdullah Ismail, Senior Business Consultant, TEO International A/S, Denmark and Visiting Faculty, UTB School of Business; Yang Mulia Dr Sharina Yunus, Director of Enterprise Office, UTB; and Yang Mulia Puan Hajah Nurul Akmar Jaafar, Executive Director of Al Riyada Consulting and Managing Partner and CEO of Flower Journal. The discussion focused on strategies to strengthen women’s representation and impact on technology-driven industries.
In the afternoon, participants engaged in an interactive workshop titled “Artificial Intelligence for Impact – Tools and Practical Applications for Women Leaders.” The workshop focused on building foundational understanding of AI, exploring its global trends, and identifying opportunities to integrate technology into leadership practice.
The workshop was facilitated by Yang Mulia Professor Sang Nam, a faculty member at George Mason University and Co-Director of the Virginia Serious Game Institute. He brought his extensive interdisciplinary background and industry innovation experience to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to harness AI responsibly and effectively.
The workshop is structured over six sessions, with the remaining sessions scheduled for the third day of UTB-STE Connect 2025. The continuation will focus on hands-on applications of AI tools for everyday leadership efficiency, workflow automation, organisational transformation, concluding with reflections and peer networking to consolidate learning and enhance collaboration among women leaders.
