Curtin Malaysia student Chong Yun Jia wins IEM Gold Medal Award

Miri – 28 June 2017 – Petroleum engineering student Chong Yun Jia of Curtin University, Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) was among selected final-year engineering students of tertiary institutions nationwide receiving the Institution of Engineers Malaysia’s (IEM) prestigious Gold Medal Award recently.

Chong received her award at IEM’s 58th Annual Dinner and Awards Night held at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Hailing from Miri, Chong joined Curtin Malaysia in 2014 under a Bill Nichols Scholarship, a full scholarship granted by the university for undergraduate studies in engineering.  Throughout her studies, she excelled academically and was recognised in both the Vice-Chancellor’s and Dean’s lists for academic excellence.

Chong is presently president of the Society of Petroleum Engineer (SPE) Curtin University Malaysia Student Chapter, which promotes student-academia-industry collaboration and networking.

In 2015, the student chapter was awarded the SPE Outstanding Student Chapter Award, followed by the SPE Gold Standard Student Chapter Award in 2016, a recognition given to only a few SPE student chapters around the world.

Chong, who underwent an internship placement with Sarawak Shell Berhad earlier this year, attributed much of her success to the support of her lecturers through the course of her studies at Curtin Malaysia.

“My success would not have been possible without the encouragement and guidance of my lecturers. Their selfless teaching and patience made me who I am today,” said Chong.

Meanwhile, Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, Associate Professor Sharul Sham, said Chong has a bright future ahead, and with her outstanding academic portfolio, could easily secure a job in any international engineering company.

“We in the Department of Petroleum Engineering are proud that we continue to produce outstanding students like Yun Jia. Her achievements, including the IEM Gold Medal Award, shows the strength of our petroleum engineering course. The high employability rate of our graduates and the fact that many are pursuing lucrative careers in the oil and gas industry here in Malaysia and abroad are also testimony of this,” opined Associate Professor Sharul.

Chong posing with her award at IEM’s 58th Annual Dinner and Awards Night.

Group photo of Chong with staff of Department of Petroleum Engineering.