Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) has become one of the China-ASEAN Big Data Industry-University Research Alliance members along with other prestigious universities and industries from China and five ASEAN countries. The alliance was announced and launched during the 2021 China-ASEAN University (Country and Regional Studies) Think-Tank Network Forum.
Aimed at promoting knowledge sharing, joint research, and China-ASEAN big data development, the alliance is jointly initiated by Guangxi University and China-ASEAN Information Harbor Institute of Big Data Research.
Prior to the event, an agreement was signed by Professor Dr Dayang Hajah Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, UTB Vice-Chancellor, for UTB to join the alliance together with university and industry representatives from Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and China.
The alliance's objective is to form an ASEAN campus for the big data platform that allows researchers to address issues related to big data analytics in Industry 4.0. Furthermore, its overall goal is to strengthen the exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries’ big data research universities, scientific research institutions, and enterprises.
Over 180 experts, international organisations, university think-tank representatives from China, Thailand, Singapore, Denmark, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia attended the forum and witnessed the launching of the China-ASEAN Big Data Industry-University Research Alliance.
Representing UTB at the event was Dr Lim Tiong Hoo, Director of Planning & Development Office.
The launching ceremony then proceeded with a board meeting where the council, secretariat, expert and professional committee were formed. During the meeting, China-ASEAN Information Port Big Data Research Institute and Thailand's Suan Dusit University were elected as the co-chairmen by Alliance Council.
The first batch of the member units came from six countries comprising Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and UTB representing Brunei, followed by fourteen enterprises and institutions including China Mobile, Huawei, iFlytek, and Digital Guangxi.
The 2021 China-ASEAN University (Country and Regional Studies) Think-Tank Network Forum was held physically and online. Themed Serving New Western Land-Sea Corridor (WLSC) and Focusing on Digital Economy Integration, the forum was divided into three sections, namely Section I: Retrospect and Prospect of China-ASEAN Cooperation in 30 Years, Section II: Promotion of Construction of New WLSC by China-ASEAN Cooperation, and Section III: China-ASEAN Big Data Cooperation: Embracing the Era of Digital Economy.
