Curtin Malaysia and Drone Academy Asia renew partnership to advance drone skills and industry readiness

Miri, Sarawak – 28 August 2026 — Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) and Drone Academy Asia (DAA) have renewed their strategic partnership, strengthening their commitment to developing drone expertise, expanding professional training opportunities and building industry-ready talent for Malaysia’s growing unmanned aviation sector.

The renewed partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), which extends the collaboration between the two organisations in drone education, professional certification, research and development, and industry capacity building.

Under the agreement, DAA will continue to deliver Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM)- Remote Pilot Certificate of Competency Basic (RCOC-B) Programme at the Curtin Malaysia campus. The university will continue to serve as an approved drone training facility, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, bringing professional drone training and certification opportunities closer to its students, staff and the wider local industries and community.

The MoA was signed by Professor Vincent Lee Chieng Chen, Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive of Curtin Malaysia, represented by Professor Tang Fu Ee, Dean of Learning and Teaching of Curtin Malaysia, and Lim Guang Ming, General Manager and Accountable Manager of DAA, signed on behalf of the academy.

The formal exchange of the signed MoA was witnessed by Professor Raymond Chiong Choo Wee, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, representing Curtin Malaysia, and Mohamad Nur Hibatullah Mohamad Hanipah, Chief Remote Pilot of DAA.

Also present were Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Lim Chye Ing, Associate Dean of External Engagement at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, and Foad Motalebi, Programme Coordinator for the Bachelor of Computing (Software Engineering) and Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Delivering the welcoming address on behalf of Professor Vincent Lee, Professor Tang Fu Ee, highlighted the strong progress made since Curtin Malaysia and DAA first established their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2024.

“Our partnership has delivered high-impact outcomes over the past two years. To date, 26 Curtin Malaysia students and four staff members have successfully earned their CAAM Remote Pilot Certificate of Competency – Basic (RCoC-B) through scholarships generously provided by DAA,” said Professor Tang.

He added that the renewed agreement would continue to equip Curtin Malaysia students and staff with industry-recognised qualifications and practical skills that support the evolving needs of the digital economy.

As part of the renewed partnership, DAA will continue to provide 10 student scholarships and one fully sponsored staff training place each year, in addition to preferential training rates for the broader Curtin Malaysia community.

The initiative gives students an opportunity to complement their academic studies with specialised skills in unmanned aircraft operations, while enabling staff to build expertise in an increasingly important area of technology and aviation.

For DAA, the renewed agreement also opens the door to deeper collaboration beyond training and certification.

“There is immense potential in what we can achieve together,” said Lim. “We look forward to exploring joint Research and Development initiatives and driving discussions around aviation safety and regulatory standards.”

The ceremony also recognised the latest recipients of DAA’s Curtin Malaysia scholarship programme.

The student awardees were Amos Benjamin Strout, Darren Chew Yong Jun, Dominic Wong Hwan Liang, Chia Zim Sheng, Sean Berauk Philip, Pavithren Parthiban, Ahmad Shadi Azri Hanee, Donald Chin, Sim Yi Hui and Liew Kit Hung. Flynn Alladin was the staff scholarship recipient.

With the renewed partnership, Curtin Malaysia and DAA aim to further strengthen the bridge between university education and the rapidly evolving unmanned aviation industry, creating more opportunities for students and staff to gain practical, recognised skills while laying the groundwork for future innovation and research.

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Professor Tang (right) and Lim Guang Ming display the signed MoA document.

Lim Guang Ming (second left) shares his vision for future research and training collaborations with Curtin Malaysia.

Curtin Malaysia academics and DAA representatives with the scholarship recipients.