PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, Friday, 21 November 2025 – The Defence Academy of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) participated in the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum Heads of Defence Universities, Colleges, and Institutions Meeting (ARF HDUCIM), held at the Sokha Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 18 to 22 November 2025. The delegation was led by Colonel (U) Azmie Iskandar bin Ariffin, Commandant of DA RBAF.
The 27th ARF HDUCIM was organised by the National Defence University of Cambodia and co-hosted by the Rector of the National Defence University of Cambodia, Lieutenant General Dok Sopha, jointly with Major General Jeannot Boucher, Commander of the Canadian Defence Academy.
The meeting was officially opened by His Excellency General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia. The programme continued with presentations from participating institutions, including a brief by the Commandant of DA RBAF titled “Building Resilience in a Contemporary Operating Environment: The DA RBAF Approach”. The second day featured a Special Guest Speaker from Canada, Her Excellency Ambra Dickie, the Canadian Ambassador to ASEAN. A total of 17 defence academic institutions from ASEAN member states, dialogue partners, and invited countries participated in the event.
This year’s theme encompassed four key areas: the security implications of climate-induced migration; military preparedness for environmental disruptions; understanding the role of non-state actors; and building resilience to operate effectively amid complex external forces. These discussions underscored the importance of developing adaptive and future-ready military leaders.
The main objective of ARF HDUCIM is to provide a platform for defence education institutions to share academic practices, strengthen mutual understanding and support peaceful approaches to regional security challenges.
Alongside the plenary sessions, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Rector of the National Defence University of Cambodia, Lieutenant General Dok Sopha, along with several other heads of defence academic institutions to exchange views and discuss future academic cooperation.
