Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus (UPMKB), in collaboration with Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, organized the Konsortium Universiti Universitas Borneo (KUUB) Convention and the Exchange of the Declaration of Understanding (DoU) for the Establishment of KUUB with 16 KUUB member universities on 8 November 2023, in Banjarmasin, Indonesia. KUUB is a consortium of 16 selected universities in the Borneo region, as follows:

Brunei dan Indonesia
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali
Universiti Teknologi Brunei

Indonesia (Kalimantan)
Universitas Borneo Tarakan
Universitas Lambung Mangkurat
Universitas Mulawarman
Universitas Palangka Raya
Universitas Tanjungpura

Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan)
Curtin University, Malaysia
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Universiti Putra Malaysia Kampus Bintulu Sarawak
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sabah
Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sarawak
University of Technology Sarawak

The opening ceremony of the KUUB Convention and the Exchange of the DoU for the Establishment of KUUB was officiated by Hjh. Husnul Khatimah, S.H., M.H., the Representative of the Governor of South Kalimantan. Also present were Prof. Dr. Shahrul Razid Sarbini, Director of Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus and Founding Chairman of KUUB, and Datin Paduka Prof. Dr. Dayang Hajah Zohrah Haji Sulaiman, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Brunei and Deputy Chairman of KUUB.

The Exchange of the DoU for the Establishment of KUUB marks regional cooperation among KUUB member universities, including the joint organization of conferences, congresses, seminars, training sessions, and projects related to KUUB's main focus areas: Youth Development, Women in Research and Development, Universities for the Community, Art & Culture Exchange, Leadership and Global Governance, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Conservation, and Biodiversity.

The initiative to establish KUUB aims to enhance commitment and strategic partnerships among public universities and government institutions in Borneo to support excellence, capacity building, and internationalization in teaching and learning, research and innovation, as well as student mobility and graduate employability. Additionally, this alliance is seen as a collaborative network effort that can elevate the standard of education in the Borneo islands, positioning Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia as premier higher education destinations in the Asian region. This initiative is also supported by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD).

UPMKB serves as the permanent secretariat of the Konsortium Universiti Universitas Borneo, with a team consisting of Tn. Hj. Fakhzan Bin Hj. Buang, Ts. Dr. Suhaili Mustafa, Pn. Hjh. Siti Rajanah Abdul Aziz, Pn. Joyce Morris Kapong, En. Noor Hakim Ahmad, and En. Mohamad Syukri Bin Mohamad Adnan. Also involved are Pn. Noraihan Nordin (Head of UPM International Centre) and Pn. Nariza Mohd Elias (UPM Legal Officer).

Date of Input: 14/11/2023 | Updated: 02/10/2024 | lanz