(Bandar Seri Begawan, 13hb –Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) has been awarded the 2025 Babson Collaborative Spotlight Award during the Babson Collaborative Global Summit, held at Ecole des Dirigeants et des Créateurs d'entreprise (EDC) Paris Business School, France.
The award, conferred by Babson College, USA, recognises outstanding initiatives in entrepreneurship education programmes across the Collaborative’s global network.
This year’s summit, themed ‘The Power of Global Entrepreneurship Education: Cultivating Innovation through Collaboration’, brought together 78 delegates from 48 higher education institutions across 31 countries, representing a dynamic exchange of global perspectives in entrepreneurial pedagogy.
The Babson Collaborative 2025 Global Summit is an annual gathering for members to explore how global entrepreneurship education can inspire meaningful change through innovative teaching methodologies, impactful research and strategic partnerships. Attendees exchange curricular and co-curricular best practices, gain insights into the host school and local entrepreneurship ecosystem, advance thought leadership in the field, and engage in informal discussions on future possibilities.
The Spotlight Award was the summit's top highlight, and UBD's recognition marks a significant milestone—not only for the university but for Brunei Darussalam, as UBD becomes the first institution from the Asia to receive such an international honour from the Babson Collaborative.
UBD earned the award based on its ‘EntreMasterclass’ programme, an in-campus entrepreneurial development initiative that impressed the Collaborative leadership team for its innovation, impact, and potential for internationalisation. To date, the programme has engaged 453 UBD staff members, reflecting wide institutional participation. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average satisfaction score exceeding 80 percent. The Babson Collaborative leadership praised the programme as one that other member institutions would find “interesting and inspiring”, with strong potential to be adapted or replicated internationally.
Dr Masairol Hj Masri, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development) at UBD, received the award in Paris on behalf of the university. He was accompanied by a delegation from UBD comprising Dr Annie Dayanie Abdullah, Deputy Director of Enterprise Development; Dr Thuraya Farhana, Deputy Dean of Engagement and Partnership; and Dr Siti Norwahida from the UBD Entrepreneurship Management Team Committee.
“This recognition reflects our continuous commitment to cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets on campus and beyond,” said Dr Masairol. “The EntreMasterclass aligns closely with UBD’s Entrepreneurship Blueprint, which aims to build a holistic entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes students, researchers, educators, administrators, and leaders alike.”
The 2025 edition of the award was notably competitive among global member institutions. Yet, UBD's EntreMasterclass stood out for its effective pedagogies, strong institutional synergies, and regional relevance, positioning it as a benchmark for entrepreneurship education in the region.
This achievement further reinforces UBD’s vision to be a champion in entrepreneurship education, showcasing Brunei Darussalam's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and global impact.
UBD was accepted as a member of the Babson Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education in 2022. The Universiti Brunei Darussaam School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE) serves as the focal faculty for the collaboration, which aims to expand its entrepreneurship education capabilities and capacity in the university. As a member, UBD is provided leading entrepreneurship education tools and resources to help advance teaching methods, research, and consultancy capabilities. Inclusion into a rich entrepreneurship ecosystem, membership links the faculty with other institutions of higher education, business and engineering schools, liberal arts schools and community colleges from around the world. UBD is among 42 current members from 26 countries.
The award, conferred by Babson College, USA, recognises outstanding initiatives in entrepreneurship education programmes across the Collaborative’s global network.
This year’s summit, themed ‘The Power of Global Entrepreneurship Education: Cultivating Innovation through Collaboration’, brought together 78 delegates from 48 higher education institutions across 31 countries, representing a dynamic exchange of global perspectives in entrepreneurial pedagogy.
The Babson Collaborative 2025 Global Summit is an annual gathering for members to explore how global entrepreneurship education can inspire meaningful change through innovative teaching methodologies, impactful research and strategic partnerships. Attendees exchange curricular and co-curricular best practices, gain insights into the host school and local entrepreneurship ecosystem, advance thought leadership in the field, and engage in informal discussions on future possibilities.
The Spotlight Award was the summit's top highlight, and UBD's recognition marks a significant milestone—not only for the university but for Brunei Darussalam, as UBD becomes the first institution from the Asia to receive such an international honour from the Babson Collaborative.
UBD earned the award based on its ‘EntreMasterclass’ programme, an in-campus entrepreneurial development initiative that impressed the Collaborative leadership team for its innovation, impact, and potential for internationalisation. To date, the programme has engaged 453 UBD staff members, reflecting wide institutional participation. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average satisfaction score exceeding 80 percent. The Babson Collaborative leadership praised the programme as one that other member institutions would find “interesting and inspiring”, with strong potential to be adapted or replicated internationally.
Dr Masairol Hj Masri, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development) at UBD, received the award in Paris on behalf of the university. He was accompanied by a delegation from UBD comprising Dr Annie Dayanie Abdullah, Deputy Director of Enterprise Development; Dr Thuraya Farhana, Deputy Dean of Engagement and Partnership; and Dr Siti Norwahida from the UBD Entrepreneurship Management Team Committee.
“This recognition reflects our continuous commitment to cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets on campus and beyond,” said Dr Masairol. “The EntreMasterclass aligns closely with UBD’s Entrepreneurship Blueprint, which aims to build a holistic entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes students, researchers, educators, administrators, and leaders alike.”
The 2025 edition of the award was notably competitive among global member institutions. Yet, UBD's EntreMasterclass stood out for its effective pedagogies, strong institutional synergies, and regional relevance, positioning it as a benchmark for entrepreneurship education in the region.
This achievement further reinforces UBD’s vision to be a champion in entrepreneurship education, showcasing Brunei Darussalam's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and global impact.
UBD was accepted as a member of the Babson Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education in 2022. The Universiti Brunei Darussaam School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE) serves as the focal faculty for the collaboration, which aims to expand its entrepreneurship education capabilities and capacity in the university. As a member, UBD is provided leading entrepreneurship education tools and resources to help advance teaching methods, research, and consultancy capabilities. Inclusion into a rich entrepreneurship ecosystem, membership links the faculty with other institutions of higher education, business and engineering schools, liberal arts schools and community colleges from around the world. UBD is among 42 current members from 26 countries.