Curtin Sarawak Appoint New Pro Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive

MIRI, 6 January 2006 – Curtin University of Technology Sarawak (Curtin Sarawak) today announced the appointment of Professor Dr John Evans as the new Pro Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive effective 1 January 2006.

Professor Evans was previously Head of the Department of Finance & Banking in Curtin Business School at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. From 2001 to 2004, Professor Evans was Dean at the University of Wollongong, Dubai Campus in United Arab Emirates.

Attached to Curtin since 1982, Professor Evans earned his PhD in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the USA. Professor Evans is a fellow member of the Australian Society of Accountants and a certified practicing Accountant, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries, Associate of the Australian Institute of Management and a Senior Associate with the Institute of Banking and Finance.

Professor Evans has a high research profile, which includes presentation of papers at numerous conferences, published papers, refereeing of books and journal articles, working with various organisations and undertaking programs of study and short courses.

He has acquired significant international experience and has lived, worked and conducted training programs and undertaken consultancy projects and assignments in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Philippines, United States of America, United Kingdom, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Married with 2 children, Luke and Alice, Professor Evans and his wife, Patricia, are very much looking forward to living in Miri.

Professor Evans said, “I am keen to introduce new programmes such as public health, education, oil & gas and engineering management into Curtin Sarawak with the strategic intent of making Curtin Sarawak a university of distinction guided by the highest standards of integrity. In pursuance towards excellence and innovation in the field of research, I aspire to foster them through consultancies and develop relationships with local colleges and other institutions of learning”.

Curtin Sarawak was established in February 1999 in partnership with the Sarawak Government. It is the first offshore campus of Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia and also the first foreign university campus to be set up in East Malaysia. In November 1999, Curtin Sarawak was awarded the Multimedia Super Corridor status.

Malaysians can now complete Curtin Australian degrees without having to leave Malaysia, with the added option of being able to undertake part of the programme of study in Australia.

With students drawn from various countries, Curtin Sarawak offers a unique international and cross-cultural learning experience and brings to the Asia Pacific region quality tertiary educational opportunities to acquire prestigious internationally acclaimed Curtin Australian degrees.

Professor John Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin Sarawak