11 October 2024 - In today’s digital age, telecommunication infrastructure and technology trends have emerged swiftly to enrich our country’s digital landscape. While technology offers remarkable opportunities for progress and transformation, aspects of security and ethics need to be considered to build a safe, equitable and inclusive environment for consumers across the nation.
The ASEAN Digital Literacy Programme and research conducted by Big BWN Project (Big BWN) in 2022-2023 divulged a significant gap in digital literacy awareness particularly among the younger generation of Brunei Darussalam. Together with the Science, Technology & Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre, Ministry of Education Brunei Darussalam (MOE), the Belia Pintar Siber digital literacy program was formulated as part of the co-curricular activities under the to equip youths in schools nationwide with essential digital skills, fostering their ability to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Big BWN Project Lead and Founder Noor Hafizah Rashid highlighted, “Our goal is to inspire students to adopt good digital practices and become responsible citizens in the online world. By engaging them in discussions about key digital issues and solutions, we aim to foster critical thinking and equip them with the tools needed to thrive in this digital age.”
Multiple efforts from the Brunei Telecommunications Industry have been carried out to bridge the digital divide and transforming Brunei to be a Smart Nation. As part of the industry’s continuous efforts to safeguarding the country and its data from cyber threats UNN together with imagine and Progresif, representing the Brunei Telecommunications Industry, have embarked on a partnership with Big BWN to support the Belia Pintar Siber digital literacy program.
The first Belia Pintar Siber workshop started on 08 October 2024 at Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim, Tutong where representatives from imagine, Progresif and UNN were on hand to provide valuable knowledge to navigate safely online, be mindful on what they share online, to identify scams and fake news, and most importantly, to safeguard themselves from cyberbullying. Activities were also carried out in between presentations to instil best
practices amongst the students with hopes that they will transfer this knowledge and what they have learnt during the workshop to their peers, family and friends.
To mark this collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 11 October 2024 by ACEO Chris Phan and Acting Chief Financial Officer (ACFO) Kelly Ngo from UNN, and Project Lead & Founder Noor Hafizah Rashid and Project Assistant Rafie Baharuddin from Big BWN.
Noor Hafizah Rashid added “We are thankful for the support we have received from the Brunei Telecommunications Industry stakeholders - imagine, Progresif and UNN to realize this pilot project across various schools within the country. This pilot project will run from October 2024 to May 2025 covering 10 schools mostly in rural areas, and we look forward to working together in shaping a generation of digitally responsible youth.”
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