The first day of UTB Science, Technology, and Engineering Connect (STE Connect) 2025 commenced its afternoon sessions at the School of Applied Sciences and Mathematics Building, UTB following the official Opening Ceremony at the International Convention Centre (ICC).
The 10th Brunei International Conference on Engineering and Technology (BICET 2025), Yang Mulia Dr Tan Soon Jiann, Chairperson of BICET 2025, delivered the opening remarks, followed by Keynote 1 by Yang Mulia Professor Ir. Dr Sharul Kamal Abdul Rahim from the Wireless Communication Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, on “Beamforming and Antenna Arrays for Smart City Communication Systems.”
For Civil Engineering Track the track featured Parallel Session 1, chaired by Yang Mulia Dr Geetha Karthi and Yang Mulia Pg Dr Noor Muneerah Pg Hj Jeludin, featured five papers on topics including multi-lane roundabout capacity in Brunei, rainfall-induced slope failures, shallow foundation settlement optimisation, and integrated landfill leachate treatment using chemical oxidation techniques.
The Electrical and Electronic Engineering Track were chaired by Yang Mulia Dr Sheik Mohammed Sulthan and Yang Mulia Dr Suganthi Saravana Balaji, this session included five papers exploring classroom AC temperature influence, solar photovoltaic inverter placement, grid-tied PV system operation, AC breakdown testing of insulation oils, and classroom lighting system modelling combining natural and artificial light.
Mechanical Engineering Track, Parallel Session 1, were chaired by Yang Mulia Dr Asad Khalid and Yang Mulia Awang Murhamdillah, included six papers. Topics covered machine learning prediction of turbulent kinetic energy, photonics-based engineering education for sustainability, real-time monitoring of solar food dehydrators, drying efficiency for tropical fruits, tool life in machining titanium alloys, and CFD-based design optimization of Pelton turbine buckets.
Chemical and Energy Engineering Track were chaired by Yang Professor Sivakumar Manickam and Yang Mulia Dr Wendy Pei Qin Ng, this track presented six papers focusing on polymer-carbon nanocomposites for EMI shielding, valorisation of rice husk as bioadsorbent, fly ash effects on cement composition, plasmonic nanoparticle inks for authentication, absorption tower design, and modeling safety behaviour predictors in engineering students.
In total, Day 1 of BICET 2025 featured 22 research papers, highlighting innovations across civil, electrical and electronic, mechanical, and chemical and energy engineering. The sessions fostered academic exchange, practical applications, and interdisciplinary collaboration among participants.
The 7th International Conference on Applied Computational Intelligence in Information Systems (ACIIS) 2025 began with welcoming remarks by the Dean of the School of Computing and Informatics, Yang Mulia Dr Haji Sharul Tazrajiman bin Haji Tajuddin, followed by two keynote addresses. Keynote 1 was delivered by Yang Mulia Professor Steven Wong, and Keynote 2 by Yang Mulia Professor Toru Ishida. The session continued with an invited talk by a representative from META on “AI and Responsible Innovation,” highlighting the importance of ethical and inclusive approaches in artificial intelligence applications.
Two parallel paper presentation sessions featured six research papers on artificial intelligence, data science, and intelligent systems, covering topics such as hybrid KELM-LSTM frameworks for solar power forecasting, smartphone-based facial recognition for classroom attendance, sentiment mining for personalized tourism marketing, labour-census automation using Excel Power Query and VBA, QoS and QoE score aggregation, and real-time human detection on Android devices using TensorFlow Lite.
The 3rd International Conference on Business, Management and Information Systems (ICBMIS) 2025 commenced with a welcoming remark by Yang Mulia Dr Fahmi Ibrahim. This was followed by Keynote Speech 1, “Future-Proofing Business Through Innovation,” delivered by Yang Mulia Associate Professor Dr Nomahaza Mahadi, highlighting strategies to enhance creativity, agility, and resilience in a dynamic global business environment.
Track I – Management, AI & Information Systems, chaired by Yang Mulia Associate Professor Dr Mohamed Saleem Haja Nazmudeen and Yang Mulia Hajah Siti Eddyilahwati binti Haji Suhaili, featured two papers on human resource development and brand equity in higher education.
Track II – AI Applications, Analytics, and Ethics, chaired by Yang Mulia Dr Heru Susanto and Yang Mulia Pengiran Ida Nurul-Fitri binti Pengiran Haji Kahar, presented three papers examining smartphone addiction and student health correlations, comparative social media engagement analysis, and AI-driven adaptive project management systems.
In total, five papers were presented, enabling interdisciplinary dialogue and exposure to innovative research in business, management, and information systems.
The 2nd International Conference on Agrotechnology, Beverage and Food (ICABF 2025) commenced with welcoming remarks by Yang Mulia Dr Namasivayam Navaranjan, this was followed by the first keynote address delivered by Yang Mulia Professor Dr Shahrul Razid Sarbini from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sarawak, titled “Facing Crisis and Global Challenges of Food Security.”
The first oral presentation session, chaired by Yang Mulia Dr Mas Munira Rambli under the theme Food Safety and Regulations, featured six papers on topics including preservative efficacy in orange juice, drivers of food safety culture in service establishments, regulatory frameworks for food safety, shelf-life assessment of traditional Bruneian products, and sensory perception and flavour chemistry.
The 2nd International Conference on Creative Arts, Design and Technology (ICCArTe 2025) commenced with welcoming remarks by Professor Yulfian Aminanda, Chairperson of ICCArTe and InHERIT 2025, who highlighted the importance of integrating creative arts, design, and technology in shaping sustainable and culturally informed futures.
The session featured a series of insightful talks, beginning with “Pluriversal Knowledge Praxis: Harnessing Knowledge Systems to Support Cultural Heritage Management” delivered by Yang Mulia Datuk Professor Dr Khairuddin bin A.B. Hamid. This was followed by “Reconceptualizing Architectural Heritage Through Urban Morphology: Insights from Thailand” by Assistant Professor Sarayut Supsook, and “Brunei Darussalam Architectural Timeline” by Guest Speaker Yang Mulia Ar. Pengiran Adnan bin Pengiran Badaruddin, moderated by Yang Mulia Dr Ahmad, Yang Mulia Dr Rozia, and Yang Mulia Dr Aiman.
FEATURED EVENTS
Two featured events commenced on the first day of UTB-STE Connect 2025.
The 1st Global Conference on Industrial, Materials, and Manufacturing (GCIMM 2025) Organised by the Department of Materials, Manufacturing, and Industrial Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and hosted by UTB’s Faculty of Engineering, the conference featured distinguished co-organisers including Jeonbuk National University, Korea; Curtin University, Malaysia; Telkom University; Institut Teknologi Bandung; Universitas Mercu Buana; Universitas Sebelas Maret; Politeknik Negeri Jakarta; and Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani from Indonesia.
On Day 1, over 20 research papers were presented in the Main Conference Hall at the International Convention Centre (ICC), covering topics such as predictive modelling for automotive assembly lines, production logistics optimization, electric vehicle adoption forecasting, and innovative materials research. Keynotes highlighted the bridge between academic research and commercial applications, with Yang Mulia Prof. Yeoung-Sang Yun (Jeonbuk National University, Korea) delivering insights on urban mining and natural purification. Sessions also explored advancements in AI, additive manufacturing, microturning techniques, and sustainable materials development, showcasing the breadth and impact of the conference.
ASEAN Sustainable Ready for Industry 5.0 Programme (ASEAN SRI 5.0) organised by UTB’s Green Technology and Sustainable Development Centre (GreenTeXS) in collaboration with OIC-COMSTECH, addressed the critical need to align science, technology, and innovation with long-term environmental, social, and economic resilience. The one-day forum, themed “Technology, ESG, Blue Economy, and Green Growth,” brought together government officials, industry experts, academics, and sustainability practitioners from across ASEAN to discuss the evolving role of Industry 5.0 and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in fostering sustainable industrial transformation.
The Industry 5.0 & ESG Forum 2025, held at UTB’s Lecture Theatre 2, Library Complex, featured keynote presentations by Yang Mulia Adjunct Practice Professor Cheah Kok Hoong, President of the ESG Association of Malaysia, and Mr Julian Tan, IBM Digital Supply Chain Transformation Leader, Singapore, covering ESG-driven technology, AI, accelerators, and quantum computing for sustainable industrial applications.
A special session, “Expanding Research Visibility in ASEAN – Opportunities with the Journal of Science and Technology for Development,” was presented by Prof Dr Basilios Tsikouras (Universiti Brunei Darussalam).
The forum concluded with a high-level panel discussion titled “The Sustainability Equation: Industry 5.0 + ESG,” featuring Yang Mulia Adjunct Practice Professor Cheah Kok Hoong; Yang Mulia Mr Julian Tan; Yang Mulia Haji Jailani bin Haji Buntar, Chief Executive of AITI Brunei; Yang Mulia Siti Sarah binti Haji Awang Yusop, Head of Renewable Energy Unit, Energy Transition Division, Department of Energy, Prime Minister’s Office; and Yang Mulia Ar. Filzah Amalina binti Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid, Acting Senior Special Duties Officer, Authority on Building Control and Construction Industry. The session emphasized integrating digital transformation with environmental and societal responsibility, fostering collaborative pathways toward a green, inclusive, and resilient ASEAN industrial landscape.
UTB-STE Connect 2025 Day 1 successfully launched the congress, highlighting academic excellence, industrial innovation, and sustainability initiatives. The programme will continue on 21 and 22 October 2025, offering further opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
