Curtin Malaysia academics recognised for teaching excellence

Miri – 24 January 2019 – Three academic staff of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) were presented awards for excellence in teaching and enhancing student learning from Curtin University by Curtin Malaysia’s pro vice-chancellor, president and chief executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski in a ceremony last week. Also present was deputy pro vice-chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan.

Professor Mienczakowski presented the awards on behalf of Curtin University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Professor Jill Downie.

Mechanical engineering senior lecturer Dr. Sumaiya Islam, culture and language lecturer Dr. Anita Jimmie, and foundation in engineering and science lecturer Kamaroizan Mohamad were awarded Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

They were awarded for empowering students through a community and outreach programme, and for inspiring, motivating and influencing students to become independent problem-solvers.

Their achievement, along with those of academics at Curtin’s main campus in Perth, was acknowledged at the 2018 Curtin Awards for Excellence in Innovation and Teaching (CEIT) held in conjunction with the university’s annual Festival of Learning in Perth last November.

Professor Mienczakowski thanked Dr. Sumaiya, Dr. Anita and Kamaroizan for their dedication to teaching and ensuring that their students have the most enriching learning experiences. He said they and many of their colleagues do Curtin Malaysia proud by continually winning awards for teaching and research excellence, and this is especially significant as Curtin Malaysia celebrates its twentieth year anniversary this year.

He said Curtin has a tradition of recognising its excellent teachers and programmes that support student learning and this is reflected in its success in the Awards for Australian University Teaching (AAUT) coordinated by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT).

In the past four years, Curtin has won nine Awards for Teaching Excellence; three awards for Programs that Enhance Learning; and 25 Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, a number of which have been won by teaching staff of Curtin Malaysia.

The Curtin EIT Awards are awarded annually with the aim of providing recognition and reward for outstanding performances, by both individuals and teams throughout the global Curtin community, in teaching and in enhancing student learning. Curtin University now spans its main campus and regional campuses in Western Australia and international campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius.

Three other Curtin Malaysia academics were acknowledged at the CEIT for being awarded Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellowships from the United Kingdom-based Advance Higher Education (Advance HE). They are mechanical engineering lecturers Lai Zhenyue, Chew Ing Ming and civil and construction engineering lecturer Dr Wong Shi Yee.

Kamaroizan, Dr. Sumaiya and Dr. Anita (2nd – 4th left) holding their awards, flanked by Professor Mienczakowski and Professor Giridharan.