Curtin Malaysia’s 20th anniversary heralded by expansion on multiple fronts

Miri – 1 March 2019 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) is marking its 20th anniversary this year and the milestone is made all the more significant by its ambitious expansion plan and its role in forging Sarawak’s digital future.

Curtin Malaysia’s Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan said this during the university’s annual Curtin Malaysia Appreciation Dinner for representatives of schools, government departments and the local business community at a hotel here earlier this week.

The dinner was an occasion for Curtin Malaysia to show its appreciation to those who have continued to support it through the years since its establishment as Curtin University’s first foreign branch campus in 1999.

“This year, as we mark our twentieth anniversary, we are celebrating that significant milestone with a very different outlook, as Curtin University Malaysia, Curtin’s largest international campus and global hub in Asia, as well as the highest ranked global university in Borneo and a leading tertiary institution in Malaysia,” said Professor Giridharan in her welcoming speech.

She said Curtin Malaysia has progressed by leaps and bounds from its small fledgling Riam Campus 20 years ago with about 200 students. Today, at its 1,200-acre Senadin campus, it has over 4,000 students who come from over 50 countries around the world.

She also said that Curtin Malaysia has produced over 6,000 graduates in various disciplines, and in recent years, has been graduating students in ever increasing numbers – 672 last year, and in April this year, a record 730 students.

“Our innovative spirit and commitment to educate minds and enrich lives has seen us lead in many areas, including embracing new technologies, introducing new ways of learning, and conducting research that impact the community. It has seen us expand our presence both locally and internationally, and it has forged our reputation for producing quality, work-ready graduates,” she added.

According to Professor Giridharan, Curtin Malaysia has continued to expand through a well-defined campus development plan, use of new technologies, increased research capacity, strategic alliances and partnerships, and gearing its campus to be better integrated with the main campus in Perth and other Curtin international campuses in Dubai, Singapore and Mauritius.

In support of the strategic goals of the state government to transform Sarawak through a dynamic digital economy and Industry 4.0 revolution, Curtin Malaysia is a prime mover in forging the state’s digital future through innovative projects and capacity development.

“An increasing number of our business and engineering units are being delivered using Distributed Learning, enabling students and staff at the Malaysia and Perth campuses to engage and interact in real time.

“Complementing the Distributed Learning pedagogies is a number of new learning spaces designed to increase student engagement, foster collaboration between staff and students, and provide flexible, technology-rich environments to support active learning and the development of a digital mindset in our students,” she said.

Professor Giridharan further stated that Curtin Malaysia is embarking on another phase of growth that will see the development of new infrastructure, including a Digital Centre for Excellence, an Engineering Research Laboratory, Stock Market Trading Room, new cafeteria and on-campus housing.

Curtin Malaysia has also introduced a number of new undergraduate courses to meet industry demands – a Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management and Bachelor of Science in Computing with streams in Software Engineering and Cyber Security, a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Human Resources Management, as well as introduced a new journalism stream to bolster its Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication.

For postgraduate studies, she said the Curtin Malaysia has introduced a Master of Commerce in Marketing, a Master of International Business and a Master of Petroleum Engineering, and more courses in multiple disciplines will be introduced in due course.

In addition, Professor Giridharan said Curtin University recently signed a new joint venture agreement with its Sarawak partners, thus committing to another 20 years of partnership here in Malaysia.

“This was based on Curtin’s two decades of strong partnership, innovation and educational excellence here in Malaysia, and augurs very well for the ongoing and long-term development and success of Curtin Malaysia,” she said.

In conjunction with Curtin Malaysia’s 20th anniversary, and in appreciation of the support of the local community, the university announced its 20th Anniversary Scholarships worth RM2.5 million for studies in Foundation programs and selected undergraduate courses.

Launched by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in January, the scholarships serve to help talented students from the Sarawak fulfil their aspirations for higher studies, to motivate them to pursue a truly global education with Curtin, as well as recognise and reward the support from the community towards the university.

Over the years, Curtin Malaysia has awarded scholarships amounting to more than RM25 million to students from all walks of life, enabling them to graduate successfully and contribute to human capital domestically and internationally.

Curtin is currently ranked among the top one per cent of universities worldwide in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), an achievement that reflects the quality and excellence across all its campuses.

Its engineering programmes are double accredited by Engineers Australia and the Board of Engineers Malaysia, and for Chemical Engineering, by IChemE UK as well. Its business courses, meanwhile, are accredited by the elite Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and professional bodies nationally and internationally.

Also present at the dinner were Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is chairman of Curtin Malaysia’s management board, as well as Curtin Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer Ir. Pieter Pottas and Associate Director of Marketing Communications Dinesh Rajenthiran.

Professor Giridharan giving her speech at the dinner.

Curtin Malaysia’s campus continues to expand after 19 years.