Curtin Malaysia Open Day to feature Curtin Croc Challenge and other competitions

Miri – 29 September 2017 – Visitors to the upcoming Curtin University, Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) Open Day 2017 on 14 October 2017 will get to witness exciting competitions, including the Curtin Croc Challenge 2.0 which will see keen competition between 26 teams in inter-school and open categories.

The inter-school category is open to students in Forms 3 to 6 while the open category is open to people of all ages, including tertiary students and working adults. Cash prizes worth RM5,500 will be awarded to the best six teams in the inter-school category and best three teams in the open category.

The Curtin Croc Challenge is Curtin Malaysia’s signature ‘crocodile electronic early warning system design competition’ which is being held for the second year in conjunction with its annual open day. It is being organised by the Curtin Malaysia Faculty of Engineering and Science in collaboration with the university’s Office of Research and Development and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), Miri Branch.

The participating schools are SMK Chung Hua Miri, SMK Riam Miri, SMK Dato Permaisuri, SMK Merbau, SMK Pujut, SMK St. Columba, SMK Lutong, SM Sains Miri, SMK Taman Tunku and PACTS Education. The open category teams, meanwhile, will comprise teams Secreed SMK Riam, The Croc Trappers (SMK Riam), Bing Bong, The Frix (SMK Riam), Elektronik PPKS Miri, Danger No More and Risks.

The teams’ supporters can see them in action at Curtin Malaysia’s Library & Auditorium Complex between 10 am and 5 pm on Open Day.

Aimed at encouraging critical thinking through a real-life design case study (sensing and warning of the presence of crocodiles), the competition exposes participants to the practical application of electronics using Arduino electronic design kits and basic programming in an educational and fun way. Mentors from Curtin Malaysia are assigned to each team to guide them in designing their prototypes. More information on the competition is available at openday.curtin.edu.my/croc-challenge.

Other competitions on the day will be ‘Curtin’s Next Top Entrepreneur’, a business competition for students in Forms 3 to 5, and ‘Battle of The Brains Trivia Challenge’, a quiz competition for students in Forms 4 to 5, organised by the Faculty of Business and Faculty of Humanities respectively.

Five teams from local secondary schools have signed up for the ‘Curtin’s Next Top Entrepreneur’ while 18 teams, including five from Sabah, are expected to compete in the ‘Battle of The Brains Trivia Challenge’.

The former, which is aimed at instilling an entrepreneurial mind-set among students and highlighting business studies at Curtin Malaysia, will be in the LTBS 1 and LTBS 11 lecture theatres in the Faculty of Business Building.

Competing in teams of ten, the students will propose creative products made from recycled materials and pitch them to a panel of judges. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams and all participants will receive souvenirs and certificates of participation.

The ‘Battle of The Brains Trivia Challenge’, meanwhile, will be in the Harry Perkins Lecture Theatre. It will feature quizzes designed to test the participants’ knowledge of wide range of topics in a fun way. Winning teams will walk away with cash prizes and certificates of participation.

Both competitions will be from 10 am to 1 pm. Students and teachers of the participating schools are invited to attend and support their school teams.

Another interesting competition that is certain to draw a sizeable audience will be the grand final of the Curtin Gaming Championship where teams will battle it out in three popular online games – DOTA 2, League of Legends and FIFA – for the title of ‘Best Amateur Team in Malaysia’.

It is being organised by the Faculty of Engineering and Science from 10 am to 3 pm in The Auditorium. The preliminary rounds will commence on 26 September and lead to the grand final on Open Day. Cash prizes worth RM9,000 are up for grabs and winners will also receive medals and trophies.

Curtin Malaysia Open Day 2017 promises to give visitors an exciting taste of life at Curtin University’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia. Geared to offer a fun, hands-on learning experience in a festival-like atmosphere, it will be a chance for potential students to explore the Curtin Malaysia campus, learn about the courses it offers, and speak with lecturers and current students.

Each year, the event attracts thousands of visitors and a sizeable crowd is expected again this year, including over 400 secondary school students.

Apart from the competitions, other attractions will include the ‘Faculty Showcases’ and ‘Future Students Hub’, an art exhibition and competition, food and retail stalls, a community corner, day-long live entertainment and guided tours of the campus.

Future students can garner valuable information on courses, enrolment and scholarships at the ‘Future Students Hub’ and visit interesting showcases of Curtin Malaysia’s three faculties and graduate school at the ‘Faculty Showcases’.

For more details of Curtin Malaysia Open Day 2017, visit openday.curtin.edu.my, call 085-443 806 or email corpcomm@curtin.edu.my.  

Students demonstrating their prototype to VIPs during last year’s Curtin Croc Challenge.

Teams facing off in grand final of last year’s Curtin Gaming Championship.

Large crowd of spectators gathered to support their favourite teams.