Swinburne Sarawak academic champions leadership, joins royal dinner

Dr Gabriel Wee (left) meets Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, during the CSC Presidential Council Appreciation Dinner at Windsor Castle.

KUCHING, 15 May 2025: Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus’ Head of the Department of Executive and Entrepreneurship, Dr Gabriel Wee Wei En attended the Commonwealth Study Conference (CSC) Presidential Council Appreciation Dinner which was held at the historic Windsor Castle on April 15, 2025. 

The exclusive dinner was hosted by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, bringing together delegates, alumni and changemakers committed to advancing the legacy of the Commonwealth Study Conference, a programme founded in 1965 by HRH Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, thus marking a celebration of global leadership, trust and collaboration across Commonwealth nations.

“Meeting HRH Princess Anne was a deeply humbling experience. Her deep understanding of global affairs and dedication to public service is truly inspiring. It was an honour to share Sarawak’s contribution to regional leadership and innovation with fellow Commonwealth leaders,” shared Dr Wee. HRH Princess Anne is involved with more than 300 charities, organisations and military regiments in the United Kingdom and worldwide. 

The dinner, which was held in the Waterloo Chamber, also saw the attendance of the Secretary-General Elect of the Commonwealth, Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and conversations throughout the evening focused on the power of cross-border leadership, sustainable development and the future of CSC initiatives, including the upcoming 2025 conference in the Caribbean.

Dr Gabriel Wee stands in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, one of the oldest and largest inhabited castles in the world. The castle served as the venue for the CSC Presidential Council Dinner hosted by HRH Princess Anne.

The next morning, Dr Wee chaired a session during the CSC Leadership Pop-Up “Leadership Across Borders – The Power of Trust & Collaboration” at the Castle Hotel in Windsor. Organised by the Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia and supported by CSC UK and CSC Global, the forum gathered 30 leaders from multiple sectors to exchange insights and work on integrated solutions – from shaping policy recommendations to designing on-the-ground interventions.

“This forum was a vital reminder that leadership must rise above borders. Universities must reinvent themselves – not just as institutions of knowledge but as platforms for solving real-world problems. We need to align research, teaching, and enterprise with the Sustainable

Development Goals. Issues like food security, for instance, remain urgent, especially given the current economic climate, rising trade tariffs, and supply chain disruptions. It is this intersection between global thinking and local action that defines leadership today,” added Dr Wee.

As Head of the Department of Executive and Entrepreneurship at Swinburne Sarawak and a vocal advocate for regional education and entrepreneurship, Dr Wee’s participation underscores Malaysia’s active role in Commonwealth leadership networks through the Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia. This event reaffirmed the ongoing importance of the CSC in nurturing transformative leadership for future generations – leadership that is not confined by borders but defined by purpose, trust, and the drive to build a better world.

For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit www.swinburne.edu.my or follow Swinburne Sarawak on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

A group photo of CSC leaders and participants at the CSC Leadership Pop-Up session, held on 16 April 2025 at the Castle Hotel. The session was hosted by the Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia with the support of CSC UK and CSC Global.