Curtin Malaysia gives back to community with special Foundation Scholarships for high achieving students

Miri – 4 March 2018 – In the lead up to its twentieth anniversary year next year, Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) is acknowledging the longstanding support and encouragement of the local community by introducing a special foundation scholarship for high achieving students.

The Curtin Malaysia Foundation Scholarships worth over RM2.9 million will be awarded to high achieving and academically meritorious students from top-performing secondary schools in Miri Division to undertake one-year Foundation programs in 2018.

Upon successful completion of their Foundation year, the students will be able to pursue world-class degrees with Curtin Malaysia – the largest international campus and global hub in Asia of Curtin University, a premier Australian university ranked in the top one percent of universities globally in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

The new scholarships were announced by Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive, Professor Jim Mienczakowski, at an appreciation dinner hosted by Curtin Malaysia for secondary school principals, counsellors and PIBG representatives at a leading hotel here last night.

Also present were Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is also chair of Curtin Malaysia’s management board; senior management staff of the university; representatives of government departments, recruitment agents and representatives of the local business community.

According to Professor Mienczakowski, the scholarships are specifically designed to further improve access and equity for high achieving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to high quality tertiary education at Curtin Malaysia, and give them the opportunity to study in a unique international and cross-cultural environment with domestic students from outside Miri, and international students from over 50 countries.

He said that, as by far the highest globally-ranked university in Borneo and as an international university which is consistently ranked amongst the leading one percent of universities worldwide, Curtin Malaysia wants to ensure that it rewards academically outstanding local students, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, to realise their potential, get a world-class Australian qualification, graduate with high practical employability, and achieve their career and life ambitions.

“Curtin Malaysia is the number one preference for qualified international students and currently serves many very able students from over 50 different nations. We are also rated Tier 5 in the SETARA and D-SETARA, so we have also become the number one preference for thousands of students from across Malaysia. Now, through these scholarships, we are seeking to also help local students to join us and become highly successful Curtin graduates,” Professor Mienczakowski added.

Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan, in her briefing to the dinner guests, said over 100 full scholarships and 80 partial (50%) scholarships will be awarded to students of top-performing schools achieving good results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). Special provisions will be made for eligible students of rural secondary schools, who will all get full scholarships.

The scholarships will be for study in the Foundation in Commerce, Foundation in Engineering and Science and Foundation in Arts (Media) courses taught at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business, Faculty of Engineering and Science and Faculty of Humanities, respectively. All are recognised and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education.

Eligible candidates must be nominated by their school principals or counsellors and apply for the scholarships through them. Application forms will be distributed to the respective schools. All required documents should be attached with the application forms and the candidates must attend selection interviews called by the university.

Applications must reach Curtin Malaysia no later than 30 March 2018. School representatives requiring more information or assistance regarding the scholarships can contact marketing officer Stevenson Tan at 019-885 6076 or by email to stevenson.tan@curtin.edu.my.

New scholarships provide access and equity for high achieving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds to high quality tertiary education at Curtin Malaysia.

Professor Jim Mienczakowski delivering his speech during the appreciation dinner.