Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) recently launched ‘Digital Fikra,’ a dedicated space for digital learning, dynamic ideation and collaborative innovation, which aims to support BIBD’s digital transformation journey.
The space is a manifestation of BIBD’s commitment to going digital, in support of Brunei Darussalam’s Smart Nation initiative and ensuring that its workforce is ready and able to meet the changes brought on by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0).
Digital Fikra, which is located at the BIBD Headquarters in the capital, was officially launched by BIBD Managing Director and CEO Mubashar Khokhar. During the launch, Deputy Managing Director I Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman presented certificates of appreciation and prizes to the two winners of an internally run competition to name the new space.
Mohammad Ismail bin Haji Abu Bakar and Riana Pertiwi binti Abu Bakar’s creative and well thought out submissions inspired the name ‘Digital Fikra’. The word Fikra is Arabic for thoughts or ideas, paired with ‘Digital’ – the name of the space signifies its purpose – to encourage employees to have a digital mindset, ideate and innovate.
With the launch of the dedicated space, employees will have access to two ideation spaces, the first is a mini-amphitheatre equipped with a Smart TV which can connect to employees devices wirelessly, perfect for knowledge sharing sessions.
The second ideation space is designed to facilitate group discussions and encourage innovation. The ideation spaces were designed to have a modern and minimalist feel, coupled with views of Kampong Ayer and lush green hills, it is a conducive environment for out-of-the-box and innovative thinking. Digital Fikra also features an e-learning hub that is equipped with full Internet access for employee to complete online learning and do research.
BIBD Chief Human Resources Officer Habibah binti Haji Harry said, “Employee learning is a vital part of the bank’s digital transformation journey. Our hope is that providing a dedicated space for employees to access online learning platforms, and discuss ideas openly and collaboratively, will further enhance the bank’s learning culture and encourage an innovative mindset.”
She added, “Over the past year, and through the global pandemic, online learning tools have been a great asset in supporting our employees and the bank in general, as we drive the digital transformation of our capacity building efforts.”
The launch of Digital Fikra and the objectives behind it are in line with the bank’s focus on increasing learning accessibility by leveraging on digital learning platforms. Currently, BIBD offers a wide range of online learning programmes covering topics such as Islamic finance and capital markets, customer service, anti-money laundering and cyber- security.
In 2020, BIBD provided all employees with access to online learning programmes focussing on topics such as digital transformation, artificial tntelligence and robotic process automation (RPA), which are increasingly relevant and important in the era of IR4.0.
Although social distancing measures and travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to face-to-face learning programmes, BIBD was able to adapt to the new normal and ensure employees’ development was not impacted. Despite the challenges faced last year, BIBD recorded a higher number of learning days compared to previous years.
As BIBD seeks to position itself as the best Islamic bank in Asia-Pacific, the bank strongly believes that the foundation of its success and indeed the country’s future relies significantly on the quality and efficiency of its people. Thus, BIBD will continue to invest in efforts to develop its excellent workforce. As a partner in progress, BIBD also stands firm in its commitment and support of Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam’s (AMBD) Financial Sector Blueprint and Brunei Vision 2035, in harnessing and developing the local workforce which will play an important role in the success of the nation.