Bintulu students spend a day at Curtin Malaysia

Miri – 7 February 2023 – Fifty Form 5 students and teachers of SMK Sebauh in Bintulu recently spent a day and night at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), participating in various activities organised by the university under its ‘Inspired By University’ (IBU) programme.

The IBU programme is Curtin Malaysia’s schools outreach programme run by its Domestic Student Recruitment Department in collaboration with other academic and professional areas of the university and local schools.

The programme is aimed at promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies and inspiring secondary school students to pursue tertiary studies in related disciplines at Curtin Malaysia. IBU programme activities are conducted both in the schools and at the Curtin Malaysia campus and include STEM-related fairs, competitions, workshops and camps.

The day commenced with a STEM-related activity conducted by staff of Curtin Malaysia’s School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE). The students were divided into groups and engaged in hands-on experiments and projects designed to instill a greater interest in STEM and help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The students said they appreciated the hands-on approach to learning and the interactive nature of the activities, which made learning STEM subjects more interesting for them.

The students and their teachers also had the opportunity to tour the university’s facilities such as its lecture theatres, distributed and collaborative learning rooms, engineering and computer laboratories and other student learning spaces. This gave them insights into the modern teaching and learning methods and facilities used, in addition to a taste of the university student experience.

In the evening, the students and teachers participated in a night activity designed to showcase more of the vibrant campus life, this time focused on the university’s indoor sports and recreational facilities which are available to the campus community both day and night. This included attending a movie in the university’s mini cinema, Cinema Lite, which is used as a teaching and learning facility for media and communication students.

To complete their campus experience, they stayed the night at the Lakeside Apartments in the university’s Kingfisher Precinct. The precinct currently has six apartment blocks housing single- and twin-occupancy student accommodations with another two blocks in a village-style setting due to open in the middle of this year.

Curtin Malaysia’s Domestic Student Recruitment and External Engagement Manager Mohamad Rahman Bin Sallehin said the experience was a most enjoyable and insightful one for the students and teachers of SMK Sebauh and welcomes other schools in Sarawak to participate in the IBU programme. Interested schools can contact Samson Philip at 019 – 8103700 for details.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.

Students and teachers being briefed on arrival at the Curtin Malaysia campus

Getting the feel of learning in a large university lecture theatre

Posing for a group photo with IBU programme facilitators

Students enjoying the ambience of the campus

The students and teachers prior to departure from Curtin Malaysia