UPDATES & EVENTS
OUR VISION
The vision of the institute is to be the prime centre [as a focal point] in advancing Borneo knowledge on the island of Borneo, Malaysia, in the Southeast Asian region and beyond.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the institute is to advance Borneo knowledge through building research capacity for transnational, comparative and collaborative, and interdisciplinary works on Borneo in an intellectually vibrant environment. This knowledge bears perspectives on contemporary global issues to inform policies and development debates and empower communities, organizations and industries around Borneo.
Institute of Borneo Studies
About Us
Institute of Borneo Studies (IBS) formerly known as Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) was established on the 1st of March 1997 at the centre of University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in Kota Samarahan. The role of the institute is to promote research in all relevant areas to ensure deeper and holistic understanding of the socio-political dynamics of the East Asian region in the global context by taking into account the social, cultural, religious, historical, and civilizational aspects. The focus of research at IBS is the island of Borneo and Malaysia in the context of South-east Asia and East Asia; a region undergoing drastic transformation as a consequence of unprecedented economic development and globalization.
WHY BORNEO?
Borneo, with an area of 743,330 square kilometres, is the third largest island in the world, and is the largest in Southeast Asia. It has for long attracted interests from scholars in the disciplines of natural and social sciences. The natural, ecological and cultural diversities of the island have historically provided the exciting experience and opportunities for sciences to grow, develop and prosper. Eminent founders of biological and social disciplines in the likes of Alfred R. Wallace, Alfred C. Haddon and Edmund Ronald Leach, through their research in the region, have contributed towards the formulation of new empiricism that not only deal with unique Bornean situation but also responsive to the problems of humanity. Today, Borneo still captures people’s imagination and draws academic interest. Its tropical rainforest is renowned, but is often caught in between competing interests for its economic and socio-cultural values. The island’s rich cultural diversity and multilayered archaeological sites provide opportunities to discover and share insights into its rich human and natural landscapes.
