Equitable access to quality higher education is a shared regional responsibility. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Education at the "Roundtable on Access and Sustainable Development in Higher Education" that was held online.

At the roundtable, Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal also underlined the range of support measures provided by Brunei Darussalam to broaden access to higher education. The Minister's Roundtable was organised by the Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines. During the Roundtable, Ministers of Education and Higher Education from the ASEAN Member States presented national statements outlining their respective initiatives, challenges, implementation gaps, and proposed measures concerning access to higher education and sustainable development.

The Deputy Minister of Education also underscored the need to embed sustainability across teaching, research and institutional operations in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Earlier, the ASEAN High-Level Policy Dialogue on Access to Quality Higher Education: Digital Transformation and Sustainability was held online. Representing Brunei Darussalam was Doctor Haji Azman bin Ahmad, Permanent Secretary for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education. The session included keynote addresses, panel discussions, and dialogue sessions focusing on issues related to access, digital transformation, sustainability, and regional harmonisation in the higher education sector.