KOTA KINABALU: Research must solve real problems facing Sabah, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said.
He wants researchers to treat Sabah and Borneo as a living laboratory.
Hajiji said the inaugural Borneo International Conference on Business, Education, Economics and Management — BICBEEM 2026 — is directly relevant to the state’s development.
He said this in his speech read by Assistant Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun at the opening of the conference at a hotel here yesterday.
“This is a meaningful step to strengthen the knowledge ecosystem and the network between government, universities, industry and the community,” he said.
Hajiji called for closer collaboration between academics and policymakers to translate potential into economic growth and better livelihoods.
He listed eight priority areas for joint research: rural economic development, digital transformation, youth entrepreneurship, smart agriculture, community-based tourism, environmental sustainability, SME development, and local economic competitiveness.
“Potential alone is not enough. We must turn our natural resources, strategic location, diverse society and young talent into economic opportunities, improved well-being and sustainable development,” he said.
He welcomed the strategic partnership between the organisers — the Institute for Government and People Cooperation (IKRAR), North Borneo University College (NBUC), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Borneo Universities Consortium (KUUB).
He said the network built through BICBEEM must now be used to connect academic expertise with the actual needs of government, industry and communities. – Wu Vuide
Ceasar (centre), who represented Hajiji, NBUC vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Azimuddin Bahari (second left), and other guests perform a gimmick to symbolically launch the event.
