TANAH JAMBU, Wednesday, 26 June 2024 – A delegation from the National Defence University, People’s Liberation Army (NDU PLA) made an inaugural visit to the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) as part of their study tour in Brunei Darussalam. The delegation consisted of 1 Directing Staff, 3 Supporting Staff, and 38 Course Participants, led by Major General Dong Bin, the Commandant of Military Culture College at NDU PLA as the Head of Delegation. The delegation was welcomed by Colonel Pengiran Sharifuddin bin Pengiran Yussof, Commandant of DA RBAF.
The visit began with a Courtesy Call with the Commandant of DA RBAF. Also in attendance were the Acting Chief Instructor of DA RBAF and Acting Head of Leadership and Management Centre of DA RBAF. During the call, the Commandant of DA RBAF welcomed Major General Dong Bin to Brunei Darussalam and expressed his appreciation for their visit and support to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two institutions.
The visit continued with briefings from Hj Azlan bin Hj Ghani, Senior Research Officer at Research and Analysis Branch at the Directorate of Intelligence; Dk Izzatul Basyeerah binti Pg Suniman, Acting Senior Executive Officer at the Directorate of Defence Policy; Commander Edy Jofren bin PDP DP Haji Abdul Jalil, SO1 J3 at Joint Force Headquarters; and Major Mahmud Afifi Mohd Kifli, Acting Head of Leadership at Management Centre at DA RBAF. The objective of the briefs was to present the strategic outlook and policies of the Ministry of Defence and the RBAF and the organisational structure of DA RBAF as well as an overview of its Professional Military Education policy and framework.
The briefings were then followed by an engaging and thought-provoking question-and-answer session with the delegation from NDU PLA. Of note, the session brought about discussions pertaining to the long-standing defence relations between Brunei and China, highlighting the inaugural Joint Defence Working Committee between both countries in 2023, amongst others. The session also reflected upon Brunei’s contribution and commitment towards enhancing defence diplomacy and practical cooperation with countries within the region as well as the importance of military education in navigating the complexities of the Contemporary Operating Environment.
The visit at DA RBAF concluded with a luncheon at the Ceremonial Hall. Hosted by DA RBAF, the delegation is in Brunei Darussalam for a three-day visit as part of their study tour, and the itinerary includes visits to units within the RBAF as well as cultural tours around Brunei Darussalam.
