110 outstanding graduates and students receive industry awards at Curtin Malaysia’s 2019 Awards Ceremony

Miri – 6 May 2019 – 110 students and recent graduates of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) received awards for excellence from a diverse range of industry sponsors at the twelfth Curtin Malaysia Awards Ceremony held at a leading hotel here recently.

The ceremony coincided with the university’s annual graduation ceremonies on the same day which saw 735 students, its largest-ever graduate cohort, receiving Curtin undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

The award sponsors comprised many of Curtin Malaysia’s long-time industry partners, including accounting firms Crowe Horwath, Ernst & Young and KPMG, and major corporations like the Samling Group of Companies, Sarawak Energy Berhad, Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS), Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad, and the Shin Yang Group of Companies.

The also included professional bodies such as ACCA Malaysia, Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, Board of Engineers Malaysia, CPA Australia and Institution of Engineers Malaysia, and government bodies such as the Sarawak Higher Education Foundation, Yayasan Sarawak and Bintulu Development Authority.

Other sponsors were the Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Wan Ullok Jugah Chin & Co. Advocates, Trienekens Sarawak, Unity Media Malaysia Berhad, Curtin Malaysia’s Pro-Chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan, and Sarawak Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is chair of Curtin Malaysia’s Management Committee.

The awards were for academic merit in the university’s various programmes, including recognition of 58 students placed in the top one per cent of its undergraduates, who were inducted into the Vice-Chancellor’s List. In addition, two graduates received Yayasan Sarawak’s Excellent Graduate Awards for 2018.

Other recipients were recognised for outstanding extracurricular achievement in the form of the Datuk Dr Lee Kim Shin Outstanding Student Community Contribution Awards, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club Award for Outstanding Performance in a National Competition Award, and Sarawak Higher Education Foundation Outstanding Leadership Award.

Present at the event was Andrew Goledzinowski, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, who attended both the graduation and awards events, as well as senior leaders of Curtin University in Perth, including Chancellor Dr Andrew Crane, Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry and Deputy Vice-Chancellor International Professor Seth Kunin.

Also attending were Curtin Malaysia Pro-Chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, Chairman of the Curtin Malaysia Board of Directors Datu Ose Murang, Chair of the Management Committee Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski, and members of the Curtin Malaysia Council, Board of Directors and Management Committee, senior management, deans and managers of Curtin Malaysia and representatives of the award sponsors.

Dr Chan, in his address, said that next to the university’s graduation ceremonies and annual Curtin Malaysia Carnival, the awards ceremony is a high point of its annual calendar where it celebrates excellence in academia, leadership, service and personal character among its graduates and students.

He urged them to remain enthusiastic always, to continue aiming high and pursue excellence in all that they do, set high goals and persevere through adversity, and above all, be open to the wonderful, unexpected opportunities that await them.

Speaking of Curtin Malaysia’s mission as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Dr Chan said its quest for excellence can serve a larger purpose. In continuing to promote the culture of learning and the quest for excellence, it transforms the lives of individuals and society as a whole.

“In our continued progress and growth, we must not fail to see beyond the extrinsic changes of our new buildings and facilities. More important is the deeper and more enduring intrinsic changes our university has undergone,” Dr Chan remarked.

He said Curtin Malaysia has seen tremendous change over the last 20 years, progressing to become Curtin University’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia with over 4,000 students from over 50 countries.

“Our commitment to provide quality education and enriching learning experiences is now stronger than ever. Our innovative spirit and commitment to educate minds and enrich lives has seen us lead in many areas, including embracing new technologies, introducing new ways of learning, and conducting research that impact local communities.

“It has seen us expand our presence, both locally and internationally, and it has forged our reputation for producing work-ready graduates,” he said.

Professor Mienczakowski, meanwhile, thanked the award sponsors for their contributions. He commended the Samling Group of Companies and Sarawak Energy Berhad for being the two largest contributors, sponsoring awards totalling RM20,000 each. He also welcomed first-time sponsors Trienekens Sarawak and Unity Media Malaysia Berhad.

Professor Mienczakowski also expressed hopes that the sponsors would extend their support beyond awards sponsorship to other forms of philanthropy such as the funding of scholarships and bursaries, collaborative research, equipment and campus facilities.

Professor Mienczakowski addressing the award recipients and sponsors.

Professor Terry presenting a Vice-Chancellor’s List award.

Recipients of Samling awards with Andrew Wee, Assistant General Manager for Group Administration (6th left), and Professor Mienczakowski (7th left).

Recipients of Sarawak Energy awards with Sim Ko Sin, Vice President Information and Communications Technology (6th left) and Professor Mienczakowski (7th left).

Jolly Bin Marikan, Assistant Director of Yayasan Sarawak’s Legal and Compliance Section (2nd left) and Prof Mienczakowski with Yayasan Sarawak award recipients.

Pro-Chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan giving his address.

Group photo of Curtin University leaders from Australia and Malaysia with award sponsors.