Curtin Sarawak: The ideal offshore campus

Miri – 28 January 2011 – Studying abroad is an important and expensive decision for students and their parents. For students, having a good university education overseas will bring life-long career benefits, and for parents, it is an investment in the professional and personal future of their children. Thus, careful consideration should be given to choosing just the right university.

Where a university is located is a vital part of its reputation. Students the world over have traditionally looked to countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia for a quality Western or English language education. But the establishment of offshore campuses by leading universities from these countries the past couple of decades has added a new dimension to the concept of global education.

Offshore campuses offer local students the option of enrolling in a foreign university while living at home – a cost savings when it comes to living expenses they would have had to spend if living overseas. Offshore students can also opt to complete their degrees at the main campus, while students attending the main campus also have the option to study at the offshore campus.

Australian universities have been particularly aggressive in leading the charge to extend their reach in Asia by setting up full branch campuses. Among them was Western Australia’s Curtin University of Technology (now known as Curtin University) which established its first offshore campus, Curtin Sarawak, in Sarawak, Malaysia in 1999.

Located in Miri, Sarawak’s second largest city, and a joint venture with the Sarawak State Government, Curtin Sarawak has proven itself to be an ideal offshore campus for both local and international students due to its international outlook, innovative courses, world-class teaching facilities, flexible study options, use of advanced technology, partnerships with industry and government, experienced academics, and active community engagement.

In the course of just 11 years, it has grown into one of the leading tertiary institutions in Malaysia. As testimony of its success, it was one of only eight universities in Malaysia granted self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) last year. It also achieved a ‘Tier 5:Excellent’ rating in the MQA’s SETARA rating system for institutions of higher learning, which placed it among the top 18 universities in the country.

Like most offshore campuses, Curtin Sarawak maintains similar course structures as Curtin’s main campus in Perth, Western Australia.

According to Professor Ian Kerr, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Curtin Sarawak, it is an important consideration for students who are planning to enroll in an offshore campus that the standard and quality of education offered at the offshore campus is similar to its parent campus, and Curtin Sarawak continually strives to meet this expectation.

“We have gone to great lengths to ensure that the standard offered at Curtin Sarawak is absolutely the same as that offered at our main campus. Our entry requirements are identical, as are all aspects of our academic programmes, including course materials and examinations. Furthermore, all degrees are awarded not by the campus, but by Curtin in Perth,” says Professor Kerr.

He adds that degrees from Curtin are awarded under the Australian Qualifications Framework, a single nationwide system designed to ensure qualifications are recognised and accepted throughout the world.        Thus, a Curtin qualification enables graduates to operate as professionals anywhere in the world, in line with international best practice and the highest ethical standards.

To further ensure consistent quality, academics from the main campus visit regularly to conduct lectures and review curriculum and course materials with the lecturers at Curtin Sarawak.

Another assurance of quality is the professional accreditation most of Curtin Sarawak’s academic qualifications enjoy. They include its Bachelor degrees in Civil and Construction Engineering, Computer System Engineering, Electrical Power Engineering, Electronic and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Systems and Networking, and Chemical Engineering which are accredited by the Institution of Engineers Malaysia and Institution of Engineers Australia. Its Bachelor of Chemical Engineering is accredited by IChemE United Kingdom, while its Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) is accredited by the Australian Computer Society.

Meanwhile, a key factor attracting students to its business programmes is its Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Accounting qualifications accredited by professional bodies such as CPA Australia, CIMA and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA).

Therefore, studying at Curtin Sarawak not only ensures graduates a world-class degree and the practical experience required to further their careers, but through accreditation of its programmes, immediate recognition by professional bodies as well.

To best meet student and industry needs, Curtin Sarawak applies Curtin’s ‘triple-i’ model, which ensures industry links, intercultural and indigenous awareness and interdisciplinary study are embedded into each course curriculum. As a result, students receive a diverse, challenging and rewarding education grounded in the real world, and are job-ready when they graduate.

The introduction of common first year pre-majors for all undergraduate programmes gives students the option of completing their pre-majors at Curtin Sarawak before embarking on their majors at the main campus. This translates into significant savings in their first year, as well as a wider choice of up to 40 majors. Students can choose to transfer at any time during the course of their studies.

Curtin Sarawak also offers a range of double major combinations from its Bachelor of Commerce programme. They provide a stronger and more applicable education experience, allow students to choose courses to suit their needs, and offer more opportunities to gain practical industry experience. What’s more, they can complete the requirements for two degrees in less time than it would take to complete two degrees sequentially and they can complete one major at Curtin Sarawak and the other at the main campus.

Another part of Curtin Sarawak’s success is its diversity. Its campus consists of some 3000 students of over 40 nationalities and its academic and professional staff are drawn from a number of countries in addition to Australia and Malaysia.

It also encourages student learning and development beyond the classroom through distinctive programmes designed to develop talented students for a variety of leadership roles. Students maximise their potential for career excellence or academic distinction as student ambassadors of the John Curtin Leadership Academy, engage with the community through the Curtin Volunteers!, in addition to developing peer mentoring skills and gaining practical experience in the workplace. Curtin Sarawak has clubs, societies, sport and social events to suit everyone and create a university experience well beyond their studies.

Furthermore, many students would find Miri’s location, facilities and lifestyle very conducive for tertiary studies. The city is regarded as Sarawak’s most cosmopolitan city with a population of just over 300,000 comprising almost the entire spectrum of Sarawak’s many ethnic groups and a large number of expatriates from other Malaysian states and overseas.

Curtin Sarawak offers admission pathways to suit a variety of needs, including bridging and foundation courses to help international students meet the prerequisite requirements. Furthermore, as the cost of attending university is an increasingly important consideration for prospective students and their parents, it offers several options of study loans and scholarships.

Further information on Curtin Sarawak can be obtained from its website at www.curtin.edu.my. Alternatively, one can contact its Student Recruitment Department at 085-443939 or via e-mail to enquiries@curtin.edu.my for more details.