Curtin postgraduate researchers participate in first Curtin global campus postgraduate research colloquium

Miri – 31 December 2022 – Over 80 Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students at Curtin University’s campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius recently attended the University’s inaugural two-day Curtin Global Campus Higher Degree by Research Colloquium (CGCHDRC) 2022.

The colloquium was jointly organised and hosted by the Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) Postgraduate Research Association (CMPRA), Curtin Malaysia Graduate School (CMGS) and their counterparts at the other Curtin campuses.

Themed ‘Contemporary Perspectives of Engineering, Business, Social and Health Sciences and Technologies for Post-Pandemic Recovery’, the hybrid colloquium was aimed at providing the HDR students a platform to exchange knowledge, develop soft skills, and network.

The colloquium also focused on relevant engineering and technologies for sustainable development and social, economic and health transformations in a post-pandemic future.

Guest speakers at the colloquium included Professor Billy Sung of Curtin University Australia, Dr. Jaison Jeevanandam of Universidade da Madeira Portugal who is a Curtin Malaysia PhD alumnus, Dr. Soujata Rughoobur-Seetah of Curtin Mauritius, and Dr. Zulfan Adi Putra of ExxonMobil.

In addition to the keynote speeches, there were parallel sessions where the HDR students showcased and presented their research work.

In his welcoming speech at the start of the colloquium, CMPRA President Melvin Wee Xin Jie related how the colloquium originated from a Curtin Malaysia HDR Colloquium largely for HDR students at Curtin Malaysia last year. It was decided to extend it to students at the other campuses in a larger Curtin Global Campus Higher Degree by Research Colloquium this year.

Wee said a Curtin-wide colloquium provides Curtin HDR students the opportunity to interact with their peers at other campuses, exchange knowledge and ideas, and receive constructive comments and feedback from their peers and academics from across the University. It has also helped set in motion the revitalisation of Curtin’s rich and dynamic university-wide HDR research community post-COVID19.

Meanwhile, Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President & Chief Executive, Professor Simon Leunig, commended the CMPRA, the CMGS, Curtin Global Campuses Research Coordinator Dr. Natasha Kuruppu, and the colloquium organising committee headed by Deputy Dean of Research and Development and Director of the CMGS, Professor Agus Saptoro, for making the colloquium possible.

He said the colloquium was very much aligned with Curtin Malaysia’s research-led post-COVID recovery plan, which has shown very positive results including a significant ramping up of its research capabilities and activities and the doubling of its HDR student numbers.

“HDR programmes are an integral part of research capacity and capability development, and any advancement in our HDR programmes contribute greatly to Curtin University’s overall research performance, as well as its vision of being an international leader in research and education,” said Professor Leunig.

He added that the colloquium was also timely as all the campuses intensify their research endeavours. Furthermore, it demonstrated their collective commitment to the Curtin Global Initiative and ticked the boxes of all three pillars (People, Planet, Partnerships) of Curtin’s 2030 Strategic Plan.

The colloquium ended with a presentation of awards to the best presenters and for the best papers announced by Professor Saptoro, and closing remarks by Dean of Research and Development Professor Nagarajan Ramasamy.

For information on postgraduate HDR programmes at Curtin Malaysia, visit https://courses.curtin.edu.my/courses-and-study/ or email GradSchool@curtin.edu.my.

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

Participants at the colloquium’s opening ceremony, others attended online

Physical participants at Curtin Malaysia posing for group photo with online participants on-screen