Curtin Sarawak and Unimas to develop and promote academic links and research collaboration

Miri – 13 December 2013 – Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to develop and promote academic links and research collaboration.

Curtin Sarawak pro vice-chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski and deputy pro vice-chancellor Professor Ir. Yudi Samyudia signed the MoU at a signing ceremony at the Curtin Sarawak campus together with UNIMAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Kadim Suaidi and Dean of its Faculty of Engineering, Professor Dr. Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim.

Witnessing the signing were Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri George Chan Hong Nam, chair of the Curtin Sarawak Campus Council and Yang Berbahagia Datu Hajjah Jabidah binti Monseri, Federal Financial Officer and Member of the UNIMAS Board of Directors.

UNIMAS is Malaysia’s eighth university incorporated in 1992 and located in Kota Samarahan while Curtin Sarawak in Miri is the largest international branch campus of Australia’s Curtin University established in 1999 as a joint venture with the Sarawak State Government.

The MoU will facilitate academic relations and collaboration between the two universities in a number of areas, including research; facilitation and supervision of postgraduate studies; exchange of academic staff; teaching activities; participation in seminars and academic meetings; exchange of publications, academic materials and other information; academic quality assurance and consultation; academic programme development; student exchange;  joint publications, conferences, symposiums, and other areas of possible collaboration.

Also present at the signing were the heads of departments in UNIMAS’ Faculty of Engineering and the dean of its Faculty of Business, as well as the deans and heads of departments of Curtin Sarawak’s School of Engineering and Science and School of Business, deans of research and development and teaching and learning, and other management staff.

In his welcoming speech, Professor Mienczakowski remarked that both universities had seen considerable potential for collaborations for some time and had worked towards building a synergy that led to the MoU and will continue to augur well for their future, long-term partnership.

Datuk Patinggi Dr. Chan, in his address, said the MoU aligns the long-term goals of both universities with regards to research and academic excellence. Unimas strives to enhance and strengthen its research capabilities and has taken various initiatives to compliment its educational excellence. It has also entered into various collaborative arrangements with other parties to enhance research, consultancy and academia. Curtin Sarawak’s mission, meanwhile, is to engage communities and transform lives through leadership, innovation and excellence and excellence in teaching and research.

“Curtin Sarawak is always seeking opportunities to foster partnerships with educational institutions such as UNIMAS, as well as industry, business and government, to enhance the quality of our scholarship, teaching and research.

Such wide-ranging collaboration over the next few years will certainly make our partnership an extraordinarily powerful one; a partnership that promises to bring rich rewards to our respective universities and the state of Sarawak,” he said.

He also hoped the MoU will be the basis for greater collaboration between Curtin Sarawak and UNIMAS in other areas in time to come.

Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Kadim, meanwhile, said the MoU represented yet another milestone for UNIMAS in its ongoing quest to establish cooperative relationships and carry out meaningful projects with other institutions of higher learning. He added that the MoU will facilitate innovative engineering collaboration between UNIMAS and Curtin Sarawak which will see inventions providing engineering solutions with sustainable elements for Malaysia, especially for Sarawak. It is also his hope that the MoU will open up more opportunities for UNIMAS and Curtin academics and researchers to explore other areas of cooperation.

Professor Mienczakowski exchanging MoU with Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Kadim as others look on.

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri George Chan presenting a souvenir to Datu Hajjah Jabidah.