The answer was a polite but resounding no from students at the forum held at the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam yesterday.
They were responding to laments expressed during the main event on Wednesday about the local youths' alleged lack of interest in contributing to national development.
"Youth in Brunei are often perceived as less knowledgeable compared to their older counterparts. This results in a lack of motivation to get involved in national development in any way," said participant Nur Khadija Ramlli, who was speaking for her group the forum yesterday morning.
"Therefore, it is imperative that senior members of the society show their support and trust to the youth."
The statement was in reference to theories offered by older participants at the previous day's national-level CSPS-UBD Forum that the younger generations had been lulled into contentment by easy living in Brunei, and consequently were not eager to participate.
"From our point of view as students, there definitely are quite a number ... who want to be involved in the economic development of the nation," added Nur Khadija.
She suggested that if entrepreneurial schemes for youths were presented in a more "fun and interesting" light, such as a roadshow, the idea of a career in entrepreneurship might hold greater appeal for them.
Her group had identified a possible problem in communicating governmental support, through SME financing schemes, to the youth, because "most do not know of such schemes".
Another student Siti Bismi Nurul Iman Emzah observed that Bruneians seemed to be "mainly focused on quantitative data, as performance and development indicators".
Collaboration was key for the successful deployment of national policies, said another student, Zulfadli Abu Bakar. "The government is not an island ... Therefore, the government must collaborate with NGOs, the community, the private sector, and the citizens, in order to formulate policies which are suitable, effective and efficient."
The students also addressed Bruneians' reported resistance to change, and were unanimous in implying that Bruneians needed to muster their courage in order to make necessary improvements.
Nur Khadijah commented on the probability of overcautiousness on the government's part stymying national progress.
"If there is no risk, there is no challenge. Then you will not have a platform to learn from your mistakes and become a better person," she said in closing her group's delivery.
Over 50 students were invited to attend the forum, comprising a mix of fourth-year public policy and economics undergraduates, and a handful of postgraduates.
Dr Sainah Saim, who was chairing the Student Forum Committee, said that the students were likely to flock to the public sector following the end of their term at UBD, but hoped that some would become educators to lead the next batch of admissions to the university's Public Policy and Administration degree course.
The Brunei Times
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