Business and process plant technology diploma students graduate from Curtin Sarawak

Miri – 10 December 2009 – Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak)’s second batch of diploma students graduated from its School of Foundation & Continuing Studies on 4 December 2009.

67 students received their diplomas from Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Curtin Sarawak, Professor John Evans, at a Diploma Conferment Ceremony held at the university’s Harry Perkins Lecture Theatre.

43 of the students were from the Diploma of Business programme and 24 from the Diploma of Process Plant Technology (Oil Industry) programme.

Witnessing the event were the students’ family members, senior academicians and lecturers of Curtin Sarawak, as well as representatives of the Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (GippsTAFE) and Curtin’s Vocational Training and Education Centre (VTEC), Curtin Sarawak’s Australian partners in conducting the programmes.

In his welcoming address, Professor Evans remarked that the graduates could look forward to entering relevant undergraduate degree programmes at Curtin Sarawak or other universities, including Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, or embark on fulfilling careers in business or the oil and gas industry.

 “Those of you who will be continuing your studies here have an exciting journey ahead. You can expect to witness greater developments on campus as Curtin Sarawak enters its second decade,” he declared.

According to Professor Evans, further infrastructure development in the coming years will dramatically transform the look and feel of Curtin Sarawak and bring the university nearer to achieving its vision of becoming the university campus of choice for education and research in the region.

He also encouraged those who have chosen to start careers in your respective fields immediately after graduation to be worthy ambassadors for Curtin Sarawak and do their utmost to uphold and enhance the reputation of the university.

Professor Evans thanked Curtin Sarawak’s partners in the programmes for their continued support, saying the success and popularity of the courses were a direct result of their contributions. The Diploma of Business course is offered in partnership with VTEC at Curtin University of Technology’s main campus in Perth, while the Diploma of Process Plant Technology course is a collaborative effort between Curtin Sarawak and Melbourne’s Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (GippsTAFE).

Under the partnerships, lecturers from the two institutions travel frequently between Australia and Sarawak to conduct lectures and consult with their counterparts in Miri.

The Diploma of Business course offers students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills aligned to the business world. Much of the learning is facilitated through simulations of business environments and case studies. Students graduating from the programme may choose to enter the workplace directly or further their studies at Bachelor degree level. 

The Diploma of Process Plant Technology (Oil Industry) programme, meanwhile, is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to work in a process plant facility through a balanced programme of practical, technical and theoretical training relevant to a plant operator in the chemical and oil-refining or distribution industry.

The initiative to conduct the programme has been driven by the oil and gas industry in Sarawak, and the first intake for the in 2006 was exclusively for student cohorts sponsored by Murphy Sarawak Oil Co. Ltd. and Nippon Oil Exploration (Malaysia) Ltd.

During the conferment ceremony, two valedictorians, William Sim Sze Foong and Zachary Primus gave speeches on behalf of the Diploma of Business and Diploma of Process Plant Technology graduates respectively.

Sim said he chose the Diploma of Business programme at Curtin Sarawak as it was superior to those offered by other tertiary institutions. He added that the programme was very interesting, the lecturers very knowledgeable, and the work placement embedded in the programme was very advantageous to students.

Zachary, meanwhile, thanked Curtin Sarawak for equipping him and his fellow graduates with the knowledge and technical skills to further their careers, and Murphy Oil for sponsoring the cohort. He said they considered themselves a privileged lot as not everyone gets to go to university and enjoy the quality education we have received at Curtin Sarawak.

Among the guests present at the event were GippsTAFE chief executive officer Dr. Peter Whitley and the associate director of VTEC, Paul Morgan.

For more information on the diploma programmes, contact the university’s Student Recruitment Department or log onto www.curtin.edu.my/sch_dept/PreUniversity/Diploma/index.htm.

The diploma graduates with management and academics of Curtin Sarawak, GippsTAFE and VTEC