SHHBIDSS

SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH INSTITUTE OF DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

MUHD SHAHRUL NIZZAM BIN UMAR
Director of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies

Muhd Shahrul Nizzam bin Umar has been the Director of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (SHHBIDSS) since 2011. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Director of Defence Policy in 2008, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2007, and also First Secretary and Second Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations. He has earned his Bachelor of Science from St. Andrews University, United Kingdom in 1996.

Who We Are

What We Do

Our Vision is

 "To be the centre of excellence for defence and strategic studies
in Brunei Darussalam."

Our Mission is

 "To conduct research and provide analytical assessment on security and
strategic environment, and to develop policy environment for defence."

The Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (SHHBIDSS) is a policy research think tank under the ambit of the Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. The institute supports and strengthens policy planning in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) by providing research and analysis on defence, security and the strategic environment. SHHBIDSS also promotes a culture of research within the Ministry of Defence and the RBAF.

The institute also coordinates training for senior officers from both the civilian and military sectors through the Executive Development Programme (EDP). The institute previously managed the Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Scholarship from 2007 until February 2017.

 "The maintenance of an independent research programme will be essential
across a range of defence and security related areas"

Our Roles and Functions

SHHBIDSS performs its roles and functions through the Research Division and the Support Services Division.

The Research Division in SHHBIDSS conducts policy relevant research on defence, security and strategic issues and publishes and disseminates its research outputs in various forms to targeted audiences such as the Defence Executive Committee members and other officials in the MINDEF and the RBAF. The institute looks into three main programmes:

1.      Defence Management

Focuses on studying the challenges in defence management and its impact to the organisation.

2.      Defence and Military

Covers the trends in defence and military modernisation specifically the changing role of the armed forces and its implications to the organisation.

3.      Regional Strategic and Security

Assesses the strategic and security environment and its implication to the organisation and Brunei's interests as a whole.

SHHBIDSS facilitates a culture of research in MINDEF by holding several in-house activities such as conferences and seminars. At a working level, SHHBIDSS organises special talks and roundtables which involve officers and defence executives to share and discuss issues relating to defence and security.

The institute's annual flagship activity, the East Asia Security Outlook Seminar, is the only platform for discussion among defence and security officials at the national level, on regional security related issues relating to, international strategic relations and regional cooperation, military budget and acquisition trends, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), military medicine, maritime security, terrorism and cyber security.

SHHBIDSS pursues linkages and expand its network with defence, security and strategic institutions and organisations around the world to promote cooperation. Through this, the institute contributes towards Track 2 diplomacy. The institute is a member in the Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions (NADI), a think tank group that supports the ADMM. It participates in other Track 1.5 and Track 2 conferences, seminars, workshops and meetings including Shangri-La Dialogue, Xiangshan Forum, Seoul Defense Dialogue, Putrajaya Forum, and the Jakarta International Defence Dialogue. SHHBIDSS was also involved in organising the BRIDEX Conference held in conjunction with the Brunei International Defence Exhibition.

The Support Services Division professionally manages the administrative, financial, communication and technology matters through our dedicated team that constantly strive to add value to the institute's overall goals. The division also assists in the coordination of the Executive Development Programme (EDP) for senior officers from both civilian and military sectors. Since 2004, the programme has contributed towards the professional development of officers from a variety of governmental organisations. Through the Executive Development Programme, participants provide analysis and recommendations on current policy issues, at the organisational and the national level.