About UBDSBE
Initially established as the Faculty of Management and Administrative Studies (FMAS), the faculty was rebranded as the Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies in 2000, and was officially named the UBD School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE) on March 4, 2014, by the UBD Council.
As one of the original faculties at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, founded in 1985, UBDSBE strives for recognition as a leader in business, economics, finance, entrepreneurship, and logistics on both national and international stages. The academic offerings are structured around three core research clusters that address significant global challenges. The Strategic Dynamics and Innovation cluster enhances business acumen and fosters innovation through research in productivity management, organizational effectiveness, and emerging technologies such as Fintech. The Islamic Finance and Halal Value Chain cluster focuses on developing ethical and sustainable market systems grounded in Islamic principles, with the aim to transform the financial and halal industries. The Applied Economics and Policy cluster concentrates on creating robust economic policies that promote international trade and socioeconomic growth, preparing for a sustainable economic future. In line with this, the School offers a comprehensive suite of programs from Bachelorβs to PhD levels, all of which are regularly reviewed with stakeholders to ensure they remain contemporary and aligned with the dynamic needs of a globalized market.
UBDSBE actively engages with the student body and the broader community through diverse events that promote innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit. Flagship initiatives such as Entrepreneurship Week and other significant events including industry education series and leadership programs serve as platforms for networking, collaboration, and learning. Additionally, the Discovery Year program encourages experiential learning through incubation projects, community outreach, internships, and study abroad opportunities at partner universities around the world.
The school holds accreditations and memberships with esteemed organizations, including AACSB, ACCA, Babson Collegeβs Babson Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education, AICPA & CIMA, and PRME of the United Nations, and is recognized in the QS World University Ranking and Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This underscores its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence.
UBDSBE strives to equip its graduates for impactful careers in public and private sectors or as innovative entrepreneurs. The school supports these paths with a deep commitment to fostering entrepreneurial spirits and leadership qualities, nurturing a tradition of innovation that enriches both the community and the wider world.
MISSION
To provide quality education and nurture innovative and caring leaders to contribute to the community.
This mission is consistent with UBDβs mission of βempowering future-ready leaders through innovative education and enterprising research, driven by national aspirations and guided by the values of Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB)β. The figure below illustrates the strategic plan of UBDSBE, providing an overview of how its mission fits with the mission of the parent university, the core values within UBDSBE, as well as an outline of the four expected outcomes emanating from the mission.
CORE VALUES OF UBDSBE
Towards facilitating the mission of UBDSBE, the School aspires to foster an environment of learning, facilitated by an emphasis on five core values:
- Creativity: The globalized nature of today's businesses, economies and financial systems requires creative and innovative solutions, in both seeking opportunities and managing challenges. Students are expected to not only seek knowledge but be able to apply them, by transferring knowledge into creative solutions.
- Integrity: Knowledge without integrity leads to short-lived gains. Students are expected to uphold high levels of ethical conduct and academic integrity during their time in UBDSBE. This includes among others adherence to effective academic writing, avoidance of plagiarism and and strong adherence to the universityβs code of conduct.
- Compassion: Guided by UBDSBEβs Social Responsibility Pillars, the School is committed to playing a key role in community development, and preparing students to be compassionate leaders in their community.
- Teamwork: The development of communities and societies can only be sustained through collective effort. In UBDSBE, students are provided opportunities to sharpen their teamwork skills, learn constructive dialogue and criticism, in the way that societies normally expect. Synergistic efforts in research from both academic and non-academic stakeholders can lead to significant research impact and societal development.
- Collaboration: UBDSBE strives to collaborate with key institutions such as professional associations, universities, research groups and industry players, both local and abroad, to enhance studentsβ learning experience and to prepare them for their active and effective role in the work environment as well as the community development. Collaboration in research is pivotal to the development of knowledge; where opportunities arise, research staff are encouraged to collaborate with researchers and research centres to expand their research expertise.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
To fulfill the mission of UBDSBE, the School centerson four expected outcomes (EO).
EO1: Produce innovative leaders, entrepreneurial individuals, productive and responsible members of society
EO2: Contribute to society through high quality research and consultancy with industry
EO3: Provide globally competitive teaching and learning experience
EO4: Establish and expand collaborations with leading business schools and industry stakeholders
The strategic plan diagram shown earlier articulates the Schoolβs focus in key areas that it aspires to strengthen, namely in teaching and research. For instance, EO2 focuses largely on research and intellectual contributions whilst teaching is mainly focused in EO3. Furthermore, given the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation, this is covered in its own classification, that is under EO1. All these activities can only be achieved efficiently through collaborations with the industry and other business schools, leading to the classification of EO4.