Curtin final-year engineering students attend Civil Engineering Research Conference

Miri – 13 December 2019 – The Curtin Highway Infrastructure Research and Innovation hub (CHIRI) and Department Civil and Construction Engineering of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently organised the Civil Engineering Research Conference 2019 Semester 2 (CERC 2019 S2) for final-year civil and construction engineering and environmental engineering students.

The students comprised 38 students from the Bachelor of Engineering in Civil and Construction Engineering programme and two from the Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering programme. A number of engineers from industry also attended at the invitation of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering.

The conference featured two guest lectures by Ir. Wang Say Kwang from Jabatan Kerja Raya Sarawak, who has had 20 years’ experience in civil engineering, and Mariana Michael, Environment Manager at Sarawak Shell Berhad, who is an industry representative for environmental engineering on the Curtin Malaysia Faculty of Engineering and Science’s Industry Advisory Panel.

Ir. Wang spoke about design and construction of riverine structures such as jetties and river-walls, stressing on the importance of continual site visits during the planning, design and construction phases.

Mariana, meanwhile, talked about climate change and how it affects the field of environmental engineering and society in general. She emphasised that whilst it is the focus of environmental engineers to ensure sustainable development and preserve the environment, everyone has a role to play in reducing our carbon footprint in our daily routines.

Prior to the guest lectures, three parallel sessions were held for the students to present their final-year projects, followed by another three sessions after the lectures.

Acting Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Carrie Ho, commented that it is important to extend teaching beyond the classroom to enrich the student learning experience. This includes conferences, workshops, site visits and guest lectures, which are often organised for civil and construction engineering students to broaden their horizons.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin University’s four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Civil and Construction Engineering which is a comprehensive combination of civil engineering and construction engineering. It is a professional and practically-orientated course that has extensive support and collaboration from industry players and is highly prized by graduates and respected by professional engineers.

It also offers a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Environmental Engineering which equips students with an integrated knowledge of multiple engineering fields such as chemical and civil and construction engineering to solve issues relating to the impact of urban and regional development, biodiversity loss and pollution. It has a good balance of theoretical background and practical experience throughout the four years of study.

Ir. Wang Say Kwang delivering his lecture on riverine structures.

Group photo of students, staff, speakers and guests during the conference.

Carrie Ho presenting a momento to Mariana Michael.