KUCHING: Univeristi Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is committed to support the Malaysian government’s efforts to make sure that the country’s economic growth comes from a variety of sources.
Equally the Sarawak government’s efforts to transform the state’s economy into a digital economy. UNIMAS vice chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi said the university is also committed to supporting the Sarawak government’s Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS203) in order to achieve growth in the economy.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many parts of life, such as businesses and education, both locally and globally.
Speaking at the opening of the 10th International Borneo Business Conference at a hotel here today, officiated by university board chairman Tan Sri Datuk Panglima Sulong Matjeraie, Mohamad said UNIMAS welcomes the theme of this conference, “Diversification of Economy and Business Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges”.
He said this theme is designated to spark ideas and allow for critical and analytical discussion. According to Mohamad, diversification lessens the shock impact and creates a foundation for sustainable and equitable development.
He said due to slowing global growth, successful diversification is essential in many developing countries. Hence, he said the conference provides an excellent opportunity for researchers and academics to meet and exchange ideas, particularly about the issues, prospects, and challenges facing Borneo’s economy and business .
“This conference demonstrates that academics must go beyond merely discussing economics and business theories to comprehend their applicability in diverse global contexts,” he said.
He added that it is part of UNIMAS’s mission to ensure that it will disseminate vital knowledge that will address corporate difficulties and then convert the resulting advantages to society, particularly in Borneo.
“This conference fosters cooperation and strategic alliances to serve society’s requirements for a sustainable future, which I hope will continue in the days and years after the end of the conference.
“In such a laid-back environment it is reassuring to observe that the conference afforded us all opportunity to reflect on and make sense of future economic risks and difficulties,” he added.
He said that the diverse participation of academics from various backgrounds in the conference is profoundly noteworthy.
“We are now able to hold a physical conference after Malaysia transitioned to the endemic phase starting on 1st April 2022.
“Given the hectic two and a half years that we have been through, your effort to be physically here in Kuching, Sarawak is much appreciated,” added Mohamad.
The conference is organised by the Faculty of Economics and Business of UNIMAS from Spet 19-21 and co-organised by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universitas Tanjungpura Indonesia, and the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP).
