Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2012 attracts over 6,000 visitors

Miri – 24 September 2011 – A record number of visitors thronged the campus of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) during its sixth annual open day recently.

According to the organising chairman and Curtin Sarawak’s corporate communications manager, Nicholas Leong, 6,130 visitors passed through the campus gates on the day, which was a significant increase over last year’s tally.

Leong attributed the much larger crowd to a greater awareness of the Curtin Sarawak Open Day amongst potential students keen to study at Curtin Sarawak, as well as the general public who took the opportunity to visit the campus and enjoy the festivities.

Themed ‘Make Tomorrow Better’, Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2012 featured an Innovation Expo showcasing the university’s three schools, including their teaching and learning activities and latest research projects.

Another feature was the Future Students Booth where potential students learned more about Curtin Sarawak’s academic programmes, teaching and learning facilities and campus life, as well as scholarships and study loans available.

There was also a ‘Student Support Services Showcase’ featuring student organisations that provide Curtin Sarawak’s students opportunities for self-growth in areas related to entrepreneurship, leadership and professional development. The organisations include the John Curtin Leadership Academy, AIESEC, Mini United Nations Curtin Sarawak (MUN.CS), Curtin Volunteers!, Curtin EFacT and Curtin Young Associates.

Many visitors, including some 500 secondary school students, attended talks relating to accounting, human resource management, media and communication, first-year student experiences, ICT and engineering by academics of Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business and School of Engineering and Science.

Lending an air of festivity were over 60 food and beverage, games and retail stalls operated by Curtin Sarawak’s student clubs and local businesses, hotels and food outlets.

As part of the event’s community outreach initiatives, there was a blood donation drive held in collaboration with the Miri Blood Bank and free health checks by medical staff of Columbia Asia Hospital, Miri. There was also a Charity & Community Corner where various non-governmental organisations promoted their causes. It included an Environmental Corner showcasing Miri’s Local Agenda 21 programme in collaboration with the Miri City Council.

The Main Stage was the main attraction where stage performances, the finals of the ‘Miri Got Talent 2’ competition and a ‘Mr & Miss Curtin’ contest were held. The activities drew hundreds of spectators throughout the day.

At the Kiddies Corner, some 300 children delighted in the clowns and cartoon character mascots, bouncy castles, sand art and educational games, as well as a colouring competition, spelling bee and stage performances.

Rounding off the attractions was a ‘Green Mobility Revolution Showcase’ held for the first time and featuring electric bikes, hybrid cars and Curtin Sarawak’s entries in the 2011 and 2012 Shell Eco-marathons at the Sepang International Circuit.

Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin launched the event. Also present were Curtin Sarawak Council chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan; Assistant Minister of Communications and Assistant Minister of Sports and Curtin Sarawak’s management board chairman Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin; Political Secretary to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Dato’ Sebastian Ting; and the mayor of Miri, Lawrence Lai.

In his welcoming speech, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. Chan said the Curtin Sarawak Open Day is an opportunity for Curtin Sarawak to show its appreciation of the support of the community and for the community to join it in celebrating its achievements and share its vision for the future.

He commended the management and staff of Curtin Sarawak for their hard work in creating a university of world-class standard. He said Curtin Sarawak had proven its worth and furthermore demonstrated its value through their efforts.

He recollected that, from just a handful of courses when it was first established in 1999, Curtin Sarawak now offers a full range of courses from pre-university programmes through to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in business, engineering and science.

Datuk Seri Peter Chin, meanwhile, commented that the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2012 had the makings of a true community event due to the substantial support and participation of staff and students of the university, local businesses, government agencies and non-governmental organisations.

“This shows that the local community is fully behind Curtin Sarawak in its efforts to provide the best tertiary education for local and international students, and the attainment of its goal to be among the leading universities in the region,” he said.

He noted that Curtin Sarawak has had many successes through the years and that it is now moving into a new phase of growth and development. He urged Curtin Sarawak to continue building its international reputation and attracting more international students in line with both Curtin University’s goal to become an internationally recognised brand, and Malaysia’s goal to become an international hub for higher education.

International students waiting to greet VIPs