Curtin Sarawak scholar adapting to life at Australian main campus

Miri – 25 March 2013 – Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) student Ho Jie Khang, the most recent recipient of the Western Australia Premier’s Scholarship for graduate year study at Curtin’s main campus at Bentley in Perth, is immersing himself in a whole new learning environment there.

In the month or so that he has been at Curtin Bentley, Ho, 21, who hails from Miri, has adapted well to the new environment, partly because the Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) programme he is completing there is identical in all respects to the one at the Curtin Sarawak campus.

Due to the synergy between the Sarawak and Bentley campuses, students of Curtin Sarawak can actually choose to transfer to Perth at any time during the course of their studies. As the programmes are identical, transfers are almost seamless with minimal disruption to their studies.

Elated at being awarded the scholarship and being in Perth, Ho said he was glad that all his hard work at Curtin Sarawak had paid off.

“It took a fair bit of time and effort to secure the scholarship, which is awarded to only the best students at the campus who have excelled in both academic and extracurricular activities. Knowing I was up against the best, I worked exceptionally hard to stand out amongst the candidates and felt so blessed when told my application was successful,” he remarked.

The Western Australia Premier’s Scholarship is granted yearly to Curtin Sarawak’s best students and entitles them to complete their graduate year at Curtin Bentley under the sponsorship of the Western Australia Government and Curtin University. It also provides them the opportunity to gain different perspectives on their respective fields of study and experience a completely different lifestyle and culture.

Ho accredited his success to the support of his family, friends, and lecturers at Curtin Sarawak. He said that getting the scholarship is the fulfilment of a long-time dream to study abroad and one of his greatest achievements in his university life. It also means his family can save the money they had put aside for him to complete his degree in Perth.

“I believe studying here at Curtin Bentley will enhance my personal growth by helping me develop a wider world perspective, broaden my network of friends, and be better prepared for future challenges in the workplace,” he said.

According to Ho, Curtin Bentley has a student population of over 50,000, including more than 17,000 international students, and Perth, Australia’s fourth largest city with a cosmopolitan population of some 2 million, is considerably bigger than Miri. However, the inherent friendliness of the people and the city’s somewhat laid-back lifestyle has enabled him to adapt fairly easily.

Ho aspires to become a chartered accountant in the future and plans to start his career by joining an audit firm as an audit associate whilst pursuing a professional qualification such as the CPA Australia. Ultimately, he would like to be in the top echelons of corporate business or a partner in a major audit firm, or perhaps even operate his own business.

Ho just might achieve all his ambitions, given his academic track record and personal achievements, which include being first runner-up in the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Business Game 2011, recipient of a Curtin Sarawak Undergraduate Scholarship in 2011, being placed on the Curtin University Dean’s List, and receiving a Letter of Commendation from Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business every semester throughout his time at Curtin Sarawak.

In addition, he was an active member of the Curtin Accounting Club at Curtin Sarawak and was involved in organising events in collaboration with ACCA and MICPA.

Ho is glad he took up the Accounting and Finance double major, which Curtin is highly rated for (top 100 in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings) and accredited by accounting bodies in Malaysia and Australia. He strongly believes the knowledge and skills in accounting and finance that he continues to acquire will bode him well in his future career.

Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest and most multi-cultural university with a strong commitment to international engagement with Australia’s third largest international student population. The Curtin Bentley campus is conveniently located close to the city of Perth, shopping centres and popular attractions, giving students from Sarawak studying there ample opportunities to relax and enjoy the Perth lifestyle.

Information on scholarships and loans for study at Curtin Sarawak can be obtained by contacting Loans and Scholarships Officer Danny Atok at 085-443939 ext. 2004 or by e-mail to danny.a@curtin.edu.my.

Ho Jie Khang, recipient of the 2013 Western Australia Premier’s Scholarship, at Curtin Bentley.