Engineers Australia commends Curtin Sarawak for high quality of engineering programmes

Miri – 15 April 2016 – The engineering programmes at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), the Malaysian campus of Curtin University and its largest international campus, have been given the thumbs-up by an accreditation panel from Engineers Australia following an accreditation visit to the campus in Miri recently.

Engineers Australia is a professional body dedicated to being the national forum for the advancement of the engineering field in Australia. It is also charged with accrediting the education required for recognition as a Professional Engineer and the associated occupations of Engineering Technologists and para-professional Engineering Associates.

The engineering programmes at Curtin Sarawak, which are undifferentiated Curtin programmes in terms of structure and content as those offered at Curtin’s main campus in Perth, have been recommended for a further five years’ accreditation by the Engineers Australia accreditation panel. They include programmes in chemical, mechanical, petroleum, civil and construction, electrical power and electronic and communication engineering.

The panel, comprising panel chair Rolfe Hartley, visit manager Professor Alan Bradley and discipline expert Mark Jackson, praised Curtin Sarawak for its significant achievements in improving its programmes, facilities, staff profile and student experience since the last accreditation exercise in 2011.

The panel cited Curtin Sarawak’s strong industrial linkages, systematic industrial training programme, high quality laboratories, enthusiastic staff and students, rigorous assessment and moderation process as being notable factors contributing to its latest achievement.

According to Acting Dean of Curtin Sarawak’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, Associate Professor Lau Hieng Ho, the accreditation is an excellent testament to the high quality of Curtin Sarawak’s learning activities, including localisation of curriculum content and the quality systems in place at the Sarawak campus. All the engineering programmes at Curtin Sarawak are accredited by Engineers Australia and the Board of Engineers, Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Pro Vice-Chancellor and President of Curtin Malaysia and Chief Executive of Curtin Sarawak, Professor Jim Mienczakowski, remarked that not only did the Engineers Australia accreditation panel recommend accreditation for all the engineering programmes for a maximum of five years, the body also commended the Faculty of Engineering and Science for its professionalism, high standards, exemplary conduct of the audit and review process and outstanding accreditation document submissions.

Curtin Sarawak’s move to embrace and adopt distributed learning approaches, the extension of its library and facilities and caring support for engineering foundation students were also highlighted.

“It was a truly rewarding experience to hear the reviewers speak so glowingly of the high standards achieved here in Miri and of the high regards they have for our Faculty of Engineering and Science and its accreditation team,” he said.

The very strong and well-respected Curtin engineering programmes offered at Curtin Sarawak are core to the university’s strengths. Studying the programmes not only ensure its students graduate with world-class Curtin degrees and the practical experience required to further their careers, but through professional accreditation of the programmes, national and international recognition as well.

Professional accreditation of the programmes publicly assures the competence of its graduates and provides an independent guarantee of standing. In addition, it facilitates the promotion and dissemination of best practice and the stimulation of innovation and diversity in engineering education, and the highest standards in the teaching and learning environment; structure and content of programmes; and the quality assurance framework.

“Despite all the challenges facing the engineering sector, we have innovatively enhanced our engineering offerings, as well as implemented various ways to provide a quality learning experience for our students. As a result, student demand for engineering programmes remains strong and the programmes enjoy high standing in industry and the profession,” said Professor Mienczakowski.

He added that Curtin Sarawak continues to rapidly ramp up its already strong research capacities and establish a commendable reputation for practical research. This includes the development of a new RM20 million Faculty of Engineering and Science building with modern facilities for teaching and postgraduate work and an over RM50 million Biotechnology Centre funded by the federal and state governments.

The accreditation panel and Curtin Sarawak representatives pose for a group photo.