Curtin Malaysia academics secure prestigious 2026 DVCA Learning & Teaching Grants

Miri, Sarawak – 29 December 2025 — Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) has earned major recognition for teaching innovation, with four of its academics awarded Curtin University’s highly competitive Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic (DVCA) Learning & Teaching Grants for 2026.

The grants support bold, future-focused projects that enhance student learning, employability and teaching quality across the university. This year’s recipients from Curtin Malaysia represent both its Faculty of Business and Faculty of Engineering and Science, showcasing Curtin Malaysia’s cross-disciplinary strength in educational innovation.

From the Faculty of Business, the awardees are Dr. Hosam Alden Riyadh, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance; Dr. Shahid Latif, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance; and Dr. Md Shamim Talukder, Senior Lecturer in Management and Marketing. The fourth recipient, Jenney Ngu Lim Song, is a Lecturer in Chemical and Energy Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering and Science.

Dr. Hosam’s project, ‘Virtual Auditing Field Trips: 360° Virtual Reality Experiences’, will transform how auditing is taught by immersing students in realistic, industry-based environments. A key feature of the project is student partnership, with learners acting as co-designers of the VR experiences. The modules will be pilot-tested with industry partners BDO Perth and the Office of the Auditor General Western Australia, strengthening real-world relevance and graduate employability.

Addressing the transition from university to industry, Jenney Ngu’s project, ‘Bridging the Engineering Professional Practice Gap Through Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)’, embeds authentic, practice-based learning into the curriculum. Through close industry engagement, the initiative aims to develop students’ critical thinking, communication and professional competencies.

Two of the awarded projects focus on the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education. Dr. Md Shamim’s project, ‘Building Responsible AI Literacy for Diverse First-Year Learners’, is designed to support first-year students, particularly those from multilingual and culturally diverse backgrounds, by promoting ethical, confident and responsible AI use as they transition into university learning.

Meanwhile, Dr. Shahid’s project, ‘Design Thinking for Human-Centred AI in Learning and Assessment: Co-Creating Feedback System’, received AUD 8,500 in funding. The project applies design thinking to develop more effective, student-centred AI-enabled feedback systems that enhance learning and assessment practices.

The DVCA Learning & Teaching Grants are awarded to initiatives with strong potential for sustainable, university-wide impact. The success of these four academics reflects Curtin Malaysia’s commitment to excellence, innovation and student success in teaching and learning.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit curtin.edu.my or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

Curtin Malaysia’s 2026 DVCA Learning & Teaching Grant recipients (L-R) Dr Md Shamim Talukder, Dr Shahid Latif, Dr Hosam Alden Riyadh, and Jenney Ngu Lim Song.