Curtin Sarawak electrical and computer engineering graduates recognised for academic and leadership excellence

Miri – 28 May 2015 – Three graduates from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Faculty of Engineering and Science of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) were among the award recipients at Curtin Sarawak’s Award and Scholarship Dinner 2015 recently.

It was the university’s eighth award and scholarship event held to recognise academic and leadership excellence amongst its students.

Esther Ling Pi Ya, president of the Curtin Sarawak Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch from 2013 to 2014, was honoured with two awards – the Shell Malaysia Best Engineering Contributor Award and Sarawak Higher Education Foundation Outstanding Leadership Award.

A truly outstanding student, Ling has done Curtin Sarawak proud for the many conferences and exhibitions she has organised and also for championing the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)’s ‘Science on Wheels’ programme in Sarawak. Her many accomplishments have been widely publicised in both the local and national media.

Presenting Ling her awards were Simon Ong, Shell Malaysia’s General Manager, Country Projects and Technology, and Curtin Sarawak Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski, respectively.

According to Ling, pursuing her higher education at Curtin Sarawak was a great experience, and the awards she won were a testament to her self-development, both technically and personally. She also said that none of it would have been possible without God’s grace and the guidance and support of her family members, friends and lecturers.

Succeeding Ling as president of the Curtin Sarawak IEEE Student Branch was electronic and communication engineering graduate Saaveethya Sivakumar, who received the Keysight Best Electronic and Communication Graduate Award, a joint award from Keysight Technologies and SIRIM Measurements Technology Sdn Bhd, at the event.

Presenting the award was Chong Kok Onn, Director of SIRIM Measurements Technology Sdn Bhd.

Saveetheeya said she dedicated her award to all her lecturers in the ECE Department, whom she described as the heroes behind every ECE graduate.

Her outstanding contributions to IEEE were acknowledged in the IEEE 2014 newsletter. During her time at Curtin Sarawak, she initiated the TechMentor programme and the 2014 IEEE Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. Under her leadership, the Curtin Sarawak IEEE Student Branch came in second in the IEEE Best Student Branch Awards.

Meanwhile, electrical power engineering graduate Lee Siew Jiun received the Samling Best Electrical Engineering Graduate Award for outstanding academic excellence from Andrew Wee Chio Huat, Assistant General Manager (Group Administration) of the Samling Group of Companies.

Lee has consistently performed well in her studies and has been selected to be on the Dean’s List for the past few years. She has also played a major role as a committee member in the Curtin Sarawak IEEE Student Branch. She, too, attributes her success to the unwavering support of her family, friends and lecturers.

Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Professor Dr. Zhuquan Zang, expressed his pride in the graduates who have shown not only academic excellence but also exemplary leadership skills.

He added that it is a testament to the quality of the teaching and learning at Curtin Sarawak and his department will continue striving to produce enthusiastic and brilliant young engineers.

Curtin Sarawak IEEE Student Branch advisor Dr. Garenth Lim echoed Dr. Zang’s sentiments and added that learning beyond the classroom is also very important in enhancing the knowledge and skills of students.

He said the Curtin Sarawak IEEE Student Branch is just one of the many platforms to do so and he looks forward to seeing more student leaders being developed through their involvement in it.

Lee, Saveethya and Esther with ECE Senior Lecturer Dr Garenth Lim at the Award & Scholarship Dinner.