Meet the Scientist
Safwanah
‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures
‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard work they do to make Borneo Futures what it is today.
In this first edition, I spoke with Safwanah Said, a leading spatial analyst at Borneo Futures. Safwanah first joined Borneo Futures in 2020, as a research officer with a focus on GIS Geospatial Mapping. Throughout her time at Borneo Futures, she has progressed through the ranks to become a confident spatial analyst taking a leading role in Land Use Change (LUC) analyses, mapping, and spatial elements of research studies and other projects. Safwanah’s primary interest at Borneo Futures is conducting critical habitat assessments, where she can use her varied skill base to determine the natural and modified habitat of a project area to generate multi- factorial maps.
Safwanah developed her passion for GIS after taking a short module on the topic as part of her undergraduate studies in Environmental Sciences, which she completed in Brunei Darussalam. The module introduced her to ArcGIS and its applications. In her final year of study, where she was able to complete a semester abroad at Kings College London to study remote sensing. Her interest was sparked, but she had no avenues through which to explore it further. Later, Safwanah completed a master’s degree in Water Resources and Environmental Engingeering, where she could apply the knowledge and expertise she had gained during her undergraduate studies to complete a Master’s thesis that used GIS as a central component.
Despite her strong foundation in GIS and spatial analysis, Safwanah entered the workforce with very few opportunities to apply her skills and unique interests. As a logical progression from her studies, Safwanah took a position as an environmental engineer at a local Bruneian company. However, she soon realised that this was not the trade for her.
“It was not what I had expected. Environmental engineering, in practice, is very different to what we studied at university. I felt that it was far more technical and engineering-focused than I had imagined.”
Still on the lookout for jobs in GIS, Safwanah came across an interesting call for a position at Borneo Futures.
“I was really excited when the job opening came up. I was worried when I applied because I hadn’t worked in GIS before, but the mentorship I have received throughout my employment really helped and allowed me to do things I didn’t think I could.”
Safwanah believes that working at Borneo Futures has broadened her horizons. She wishes that there were more opportunities like this in Brunei, not only from a GIS perspective but also as a company that actively engages with a range of actors from different countries and sectors. She comments that before joining Borneo Futures, she had never wanted to leave Brunei, but having been involved in projects abroad and seeing team members further their studies and careers in places such as Singapore, has introduced her to many more opportunities and allowed her to recognize that her options are not limited to what Brunei has to offer.
When asked about aspirations for the future, Safwanah lit up. She has a lot of plans and great ambitions. It is obvious she is truly inspired by her work. In the short term, Safwanah would like to be involved in more research studies with a larger contributing role that could see her as one of the leading names on an article. She is also very interested in the ongoing High Conservation Value (HCV/HCS) work at Borneo Futures and, through her personal research, has found that there is a growing market for HCV assessments in Southeast Asian countries, including Brunei.
“I was surprised and happy to learn that the Bruneian government is placing a growing emphasis on the value of HCV assessments. I want to start looking at these jobs early and making sure I am prepared and a highly skilled candidate.”
Knowing that there are few opportunities for spatial analysts in Brunei, let alone HCV specialists, Safwanah is excited about the prospect of being a candidate with significantly more experience than others, especially in the environmental realm. However, Safwanah’s eyes are set on furthering her education first.
“I would like to pursue another Master’s degree that highlights my knowledge of GIS and remote sensing. It’s easy to say that you have experience from a job, but having a qualification seems more official and a guarantee that you have the skills.”
Ultimately, Safwanah would like to become a certified GIS professional, for which she would need to complete a course and pass a certification exam. She believes that attaining a professional certification would open up even more opportunities for her, including those abroad, but also recognizes that it would be good for Borneo Futures to have a GIS specialist on the team.
At the moment, these goals still seem daunting to Safwanah, but she feels that having worked at Borneo Futures with such a close team has helped her to build her confidence. She believes that after completing her short-term goals at the Company she will have the courage and ability to take on something challenging and out of her comfort zone.