| Azlan Othman |
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) yesterday launched the UBD Botanical Research Centre, on the sidelines of an international symposium titled ‘Ethnobotany in the Quran and Hadith – An Exploration’, held at the Chancellor Hall of UBD.
Upon arrival at the Chancellor Hall, His Majesty was greeted by Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti; Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman, Minister of Education and Chairman of UBD Council; and Datin Dr Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Aziz, Vice-Chancellor of UBD.
His Majesty then consented to have a photo session with the speakers of the symposium at the lobby of the Chancellor Hall.
The event started with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat by the State Mufti. In her welcoming address, the Vice-Chancellor of UBD highlighted that Brunei Darussalam is blessed with rich tropical bio-diversity, and that UBD has identified herbal and complementary medicine as a key focus for research and development.
She added that the symposium aimed to enable stakeholders with interest in the use of plants in Al-Quran and Hadith to share their latest findings from scientific and Islamic perspectives to a wider audience. Datin Dr Hajah Anita also stated that the university has set up the UBD Botanical Research Centre to collect, propagate and safeguard various flora species as well as to serve as a centre for herbal research and commercialisation.
His Majesty then consented to receive a book titled ‘Medicinal Plants of UBD Botanical Research Centre’ as a pesambah.
The State Mufti then proceeded to present his keynote presentation on ‘Ethnobotany in the Quran and Hadith – An Exploration’ in the presence of UBD Council members, high commissioners and ambassadors, senior government officers, UBD principal officers, staff and students.
Following the event, His Majesty consented to visit the UBD Botanical Research Centre and signed a plaque to officially declare it open.
The centre has identified about 200 herbal plants and 100 tree species in the five acres of tropical heath forest locally known as ‘Kerangas’. Without disturbing the vulnerable forest, the centre aims to enhance conservation and sustainable utilisation of the tropical timber and herb species that are commonly used as complementary medicine.
In addition to research and education, the UBD Botanical Research Centre also conducts translational research where the findings are useful for the general public, herbalists and students. Any herbalist can visit the centre for cross validation of the plants’ identity that will ensure the best ingredients are incorporated in herbal medicines.
His Majesty concluded the event with a visit to Simpur Café BSB which is a UBD-owned café that operates in the campus premises. It offers cuisines incorporating herbal recipes grown from the UBD Botanical Research Centre. Simpur Café BSB also serves as an internship and a training venue for IBTE Hospitality students similar to Simpur Restaurant in Da Nang, Vietnam which was launched by His Majesty in November last year.
The symposium continued later yesterday afternoon with plenary sessions held at the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS), UBD. Jointly organised by UBD’s Faculty of Science (FOS), Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER), and Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS), the main objective of the symposium was to bring together botanists from all over the world to share and exchange ideas as well as to present the most recent advances in the research of ethnobotanical topics relevant to Al-Quran and Hadith.
Researches, scientists and students from diverse back-grounds were able to interact with one another and inspire each other’s work during the event. In addition to being an excellent platform for fostering the spirit of collaboration and networking among research and academic peers, the symposium offered the opportunity to explore specifically the ethnobotany of plants that have been enumerated in Al-Quran and Hadith, highlighting their efficacy as medicines and food as well as their place in cultures and communities.
The symposium featured international speakers from Malaysia, Canada, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. One of the keynote speakers at the symposium, Professor Emma Clark is a world renowned garden designer specialising in Islamic gardens and gardens of other sacred traditions.
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