Fun, interactive showcases and more for visitors on Curtin Sarawak Open Day

Miri – 4 October 2016 – Visitors to the ‘Faculty Showcases’, part of the ‘Future Students Hub’ at the Open Day of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) this Saturday, will get to engage in interactive and role-play activities designed to provide a unique, realistic and fun educational experience.

With interesting themes and catchy names to draw visitors, the showcases of Curtin Sarawak’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Humanities and Graduate School will give them a taste of a variety of professions in engineering and science, business and the media. It will be open from 10 am to 5 pm at the university’s Recreation & Event Centre.

‘Engineer’s Land’ – Faculty of Engineering and Science
Visitors will get to don hard hats and coveralls and play the roles of geologists, civil engineers or petroleum engineers, or lab coats for a bit of ‘lab work’ as chemical or environmental engineers. They will also learn what it takes to be network engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers.

They can also experience the use of virtual reality in education at a 3D immersive product showcase by the ESI Group, a world leader in Virtual Prototyping software and services.

‘Entrepreneur Hub’ – Faculty of Business
The Faculty’s departments will showcase their areas of specialisation and various business themes. The Department of Management will highlight indigenous entrepreneurship with a showcase and sale of indigenous food from the Iban and Orang Ulu communities.

The Department of Foundation Studies will promote green entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Miri City Council’s Local Agenda 21 action programme by showcasing and selling a variety of products made from recyclable materials. The proceeds from the sale of products from both these showcases will go to local charities.

The Department of Accounting, meanwhile, will adopt a ‘social entrepreneur’ theme and showcase local social entrepreneurship Ten Ringgit Club and its basket-weaving activities.

The ‘Entrepreneur Hub’ will also feature a ‘Curtin Student Entrepreneurial Expo’ showcasing six start-up ventures by students and graduates of the Faculty of Business.

‘The Humanist’ – Faculty of Humanities
The Faculty of Humanities will showcase four areas of specialisation – Media, Language Studies, Culture and Project Management.

Highlights will include the opportunity for visitors to be TV newscasters at a mock TV studio, a showcase of traditional music and instruments and mat-weaving as part of its Culture showcase, and an exhibition of photo-essays on traditional native heirlooms.

‘Scholars’ Quarter’ – Curtin Sarawak Graduate School
Those interested to learn more about the latest trends in business, science and technology in solving societal challenges can meet Curtin Sarawak researchers who are in the cutting edge of their fields at this showcase. Among the research projects or topics to be highlighted are a nature-inspired aerodynamic device, improving the extraction of oil, a biosensor device that can detect diseases in blood, and the role of advertising in life choices.

Holders of undergraduate degrees interested to pursue higher degrees can also find out more about postgraduate studies at Curtin Sarawak.

Visitors to the ‘Future Students Hub’ will be given ‘passports’ to visit all the booths and get their passports stamped at each. If they visit all the ‘Engineer’s Land’ and ‘Entrepreneur Hub’ booths, they will receive door gifts from the two Faculties. They will get an additional mystery gift when they present fully-stamped passports upon exiting the ‘Future Students Hub’.

Competitions
In addition to the ‘Faculty Showcases’, visitors can watch competitions run by the Faculties for teams from secondary schools. They include the ‘Curtin Ultimate Croc Challenge’ (electronics design competition using open-source hardware and software), ‘Business Genius Challenge’ (business knowledge quiz) and ‘So You Think You Can Spell?’ (spelling challenge).

Another interesting competition will be the Curtin Gaming Championship where teams will battle it out in two of the most popular eSports games – DOTA 2 and FIFA. It is being organised by the Curtin Sarawak Student Council and International Student Association, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering and Science.

The FIFA semi-finals and grand finals will be from 9.30 am to 12 noon and the DOTA2 grand finals from 12 noon to 5 pm. There will also be lucky draws offering attractive prizes like DOTA 2, Arcana Shadow Fiend and Zeus merchandise.

Yet another highlight will be ‘Young Innovate Miri’, a showcase of electronic design projects by students of local secondary schools and Curtin Sarawak. ‘Young Innovate Miri’ is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based community service programme by Curtin Sarawak in partnership with industry partners and government agencies Dreamcatcher, Chumbaka, TEGAS, Sarawak Energy and iM4U.

The programme is part of the nationwide ‘Young Innovate’ programme and national competition, which are aimed at inspiring students’ passion in STEM, developing their living skills and exposing them to open-source hardware and software. The showcase will feature 24 teams from 12 secondary schools in Miri, as well as six teams from Curtin Sarawak.

Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2016 will give visitors an exciting taste of life at Curtin University’s largest international campus. Geared to offer a fun, hands-on learning experience in a festival-like atmosphere, it will be a chance for potential students to explore Curtin Sarawak’s campus, learn about the courses it offers, and speak with lecturers and current students.

Apart from the ‘Future Students Hub’ and competitions, other attractions on the day will include day-long live entertainment including a ‘Mr & Ms Curtin Contest’, guided tours of the campus, lucky draws, and special event showcases like a powered paragliding demonstration, outdoor archery and radio-controlled boat races.

In addition, there will be over 40 food and beverage, retail and activity stalls operated by Curtin Sarawak’s student clubs, local businesses and about 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

For more details, visit openday.curtin.edu.my, call 085-443 806 or email corpcomm@curtin.edu.my.  

Want to experience being a scientist or other professional? Visit the ‘Faculty Showcases’ at Curtin Sarawak Open Day this Saturday.