Curtin Malaysia hosts guest lecture on coal mining for first-year engineering students

Miri – 10 May 2023 – The Faculty of Engineering and Science at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently organised a guest lecture on coal mining for its first-year engineering students. The event was aimed at providing the students with an opportunity to learn about fossil fuel mining, its impact on the environment, and different methodologies used to extract coal.

The lecture was delivered by Ir. Desmond Chiong Yew Kwong, a seasoned mining engineer and consultant with over 39 years of experience in the coal mining industry. Accompanying him was Edric Law Sie Hung, a mining engineer with Ir. Chiong’s company based in Kuching.

As the lecture was in relation to the students’ ‘Mining and Metallurgy’ topic in their ‘Resources, Processes and Materials Engineering’ unit of the Engineering First Year (EFY) course, Ir. Chiong shared his knowledge and expertise gained from working in the industry and highlighted the important role that coal plays in the energy sector.

He also elaborated on the exploration of resources and collection of substantial survey data, the preparation of technical reports such as feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments and operational mining schemes, to name a few, as well as the monitoring of the mining process on site, and the trading of minerals.

The students were also introduced to some of the latest technologies used in mineral exploration, and real-time monitoring systems used by Ir. Chiong’s company to monitor daily mining work carried out at its mining sites in Mukah. To the students’ delight, Chiong also brought a run-of-mine (ROM) coal sample to show them.

The lecture was attended by 16 students, who found the event informative and insightful. The students were able to engage with the speaker and ask questions about the topic, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the coal mining industry in Sarawak.

“The topic of the lecture was interesting. We only wish the lecture was longer,” said one student, while another student remarked that Ir. Chiong was a very knowledgeable and experienced guest speaker and he learned a lot from the guest lecture.

Unit lecturer Dr. Evelyn Chiong, meanwhile, said that the guest lecture was a rare opportunity for the students to learn about coal mining in Sarawak, given that the industry is probably not as prominent as, say, the oil and gas or palm oil industries in the state.

“It is always beneficial to the students’ learning when real-world scenarios can be integrated into the syllabus. Through this guest lecture, the students deepened their understanding of mining processes, specifically in coal mining,” said Dr. Chiong.

“We believe that it is important for our students to have a holistic understanding of various energy sources, especially fossil fuels, which still form a significant part of the world’s energy mix,” she added.

The EFY programme at Curtin Malaysia is a common first year for students of various engineering disciplines that equips them with the fundamental technical and essential personal skills to pursue the engineering majors of their choice in their subsequent years of study.

Essentially, they learn to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and information technology to solve engineering problems; and use technology to facilitate various science and engineering tasks. They also learn to communicate effectively, acquire teamwork skills, and adopt a continuous learning mindset.

In addition, the students can rely on a variety of academic services and support mechanisms such as academic advice, clinics and workshops, and awareness programmes designed to facilitate student success.

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

Students attending the guest lecture on coal mining

Edric Law and Ir Chiong (middle) posing for group photo with Dr Chiong and students