“Memartabatkan Belia”
The Borneo Youth Leaders Summit (BYLS)
The Borneo Youth Leaders Summit (BYLS) 2025 is one of the flagship programmes under the Konsortium Universiti Universitas Borneo (KUUB), scheduled to be held from 8 to 12 September 2025 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Organised by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah Branch and co-organised with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and KUUB, the summit is a regional-scale leadership forum that brings together student leaders, youth activists, and change makers from across Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan, and Brunei, alongside participants from Southeast Asia.
Vision and Purpose
BYLS 2025 is designed as a transformational leadership platform to cultivate ethical, visionary, and dynamic youth leaders. Through strategic dialogue, collaborative innovation, and cross-cultural exchange, the summit aims to:
- Strengthen youth leadership grounded in integrity, empathy, and sustainability.
- Foster regional cooperation through youth-led solutions to shared socio-economic and environmental challenges.
- Support the creation of a Borneo Youth Leadership Network and the development of an actionable Youth Agenda aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key Components of BYLS 2025
- Leadership Forum – Keynote speeches and panel dialogues with youth leaders from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
- Youth Dialogue Sessions – Small group discussions on pressing youth and regional issues.
- Borneo EDU-Hackathon – Team-based innovation challenge to solve real-world problems.
- Project Pitch – Presentations of group proposals to an expert panel.
- Declaration Ceremony – Launch of the Borneo Youth Leadership Declaration 2025.
Expected Outcomes
- Formal establishment of the Borneo Youth Leadership Network (BYLN).
- Launch of a regional Borneo Youth Action Plan supporting youth empowerment and sustainable development.
- Seed funding opportunities for selected youth-led projects with regional impact.
Strategic Relevance
BYLS serves as a catalyst for:
- Advancing youth diplomacy and civic engagement in Borneo.
- Enhancing employability and leadership readiness among young talents.
- Positioning Borneo as a region of innovation, collaboration, and youth-led transformation.
The Borneo Youth Leaders Summit 2025 is more than a gathering — it is a movement to elevate youth voices, spark change, and drive long-term regional unity and progress.
Tentative Programme
Borneo Youth Leaders Summit (BYLS) 2025
Theme: “Memartabatkan Belia”
Venue: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Date: 8th – 12th September 2025
Day 1: Monday, 8 September 2025
2.00 PM – Registration of Delegates
6.30 PM – Welcome Dinner Reception
Day 2: Tuesday, 9 September 2025
8.00 AM – Arrival and Participants’ Registration
8.30 AM – Keynote Address: The Role of Youths in Regional Sustainability
10.00 AM – Morning Refreshments
10.30 AM – Forum: Borneo Youth Leadership
12.30 AM – Ice-breaking Session
Participants group into mixed-nationality teams for team-building activities.
Perspectives from student leaders of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
Discussion on leadership values, regional challenges, and collaboration.
1.00 PM – Lunch Break
2.30 PM – Group Discussion: Youth Issues in Borneo
Themes: Integrity, Empathy, Sustainability
Inspirational sharing from regional youth figures.
6.00 PM – Break
8.00 PM – Borneo EDU-Hackathon (Part I):
Identifying Issues, Creating Solutions – Facilitated team-based innovation challenge
10.00 PM – End of Day 2
Day 3: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
8.00 AM – Participants’ Registration
8.30 AM – Borneo EDU-Hackathon (Part II): Continuation of team-based innovation.
10.00 AM – Morning Refreshments
10.30 AM – Group Presentations: Aspirations & Collaborative Projects
Proposal pitching to expert panels.
12.30 PM – Lunch Break
2.00 PM – Summary & Reflections
4.30 PM – Closing Ceremony
Launch of Borneo Youth Leadership Declaration 2025
Group Photo Session
5.00 PM – End of Day 3
Day 4: Thursday, 11 September 2025
SDG 14 - Life Under Water
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Day 5: Friday, 12 September 2025
Participants’ Return Journey