Curtin Malaysia collaborating with FutureLab to help students connect with industry

Miri- 14 April 2022— Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with online mentoring platform FutureLab to provide students and alumni of Curtin Malaysia more opportunities for career development.

Signing for their respective organisations in an online signing ceremony were Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive, Professor Simon Leunig, and FutureLab Chief Executive Officer and founder, Brian Tan.

On hand to witness the signing were Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor and Interim Dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, Professor Vincent Lee; Marketing and Communications Manager, Nicholas Leong; Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, Dr. Anita Jimmie; Career Services Officer Catherine Jok Wan, and FutureLab’s Community Manager, Wong Si Teng.

In his speech during the ceremony, Professor Leunig remarked that as the largest global campus of Curtin University, Curtin Malaysia is always looking to forge strategic alliances with industry partners, especially homegrown businesses, in its efforts to support and engage with the local community.

He welcomed the new partnership with Kuala Lumpur-based FutureLab, saying it would be of great benefit to Curtin Malaysia’s students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to be industry-ready when they graduate.

FutureLab’s platform helps students and ambitious young professionals network with a wide range of industry experts and provide a platform where they can learn and ask questions to help them figure out what they want to do for their future careers and how to take it to the next level.

Professor Leunig said the partnership is aligned with Sarawak’s Post-COVID Development Strategy 2030, which calls for more strategic partnerships between different sectors to ensure the needed competencies and adequate human capital for future development.

As a Sarawak government owned entity, Curtin Malaysia is committed to this aim and has been focusing much effort towards engaging with and supporting local industry and SMEs, which also happens to be part of the university’s post-COVID recovery plan, he said.

Tan, meanwhile, said that FutureLab acts as a bridge between academia and industry, connecting students with industry practitioners for mentorship and employment opportunities.

It can also be an effective platform for academics to connect with their counterparts in related disciplines in industry for knowledge exchange and collaborative research. Furthermore, it allows academics to be more involved in guiding and preparing students for the workforce when they sign up as mentors and build connections with other like-minded mentors within the industry.

He added that as a Sarawakian from Miri, he has an affinity to the state and is keen to empower fellow Sarawakians and help them achieve their career goals.

To know more about FutureLab Malaysia, go to futurelab.my. For more information on Curtin University, go to curtin.edu.my. More information on Curtin Malaysia can be found at curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tiktok.

Prof Leunig (middle, top row) and Brian Tan (left, bottom row) and others during the online signing ceremony.