Future Students Booth, academic talks and study skills workshop among highlights of Curtin Open Day

Miri – 2 September 2011 – Potential students interested to pursue higher education at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) will find the ‘Future Students Booth’, as well as a series of academic talks and a study skills workshop for SPM and STPM students, during the university’s Curtin Open Day on 10 September 2011 quite an eye-opener.

The Future Students Booth is one of the annual event’s ‘must-sees’ as it is where potential students and their parents can learn more about what Curtin Sarawak has to offer in terms of academic programmes, facilities and campus life and scholarships and loans. They will also get to talk to academicians, staff and current students who will help them make informed decisions about studying at Curtin Sarawak.

In addition, they can find out about membership in the Curtin Young Associates (CYA), Curtin Sarawak’s club for secondary school students.

Similarly, the talks and workshops during the Curtin Open Day have always been very popular with students as they tend to have very interesting topics relating to engineering, science, information technology, business and careers, or extolling the merits of a particular academic programme, discipline or career path.

This year’s offerings promise to be just as interesting and beneficial to students, according to Marketing Manager Liew Mei Yin, who is coordinating all the academic events.

“We will kick off the activities with a one-hour exam or study skills workshop with the theme How To Be A Champion at 10.00 am in the Harry Perkins Lecture Theatre. It is geared towards developing fifth and sixth formers’ academic skills and motivating them to excel in the coming SPM and STPM examinations,” she said.

The workshop will be facilitated by Terence Tan, a highly-experienced and award-winning lecturer of the university’s School of Engineering and Science. Terence won Curtin University’s Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award in 2008 for his creative approach in conducting programmes that equip students with exceptional learning, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. He will help the students take a lot of the anxiety and guesswork out of preparing for the examinations.

At 11.00 am, the School of Foundation and Continuing Studies will present a talk entitled Skills for the Future, which will highlight the three most crucial academic skills, that is, writing, communication and critical thinking. Dr. Beena Giridharan, Dean of the School of Foundation and Continuing Studies, will be one of the speakers.

Dr. Beena’s teaching techniques promote the development of students’ knowledge and place emphasis on developing their critical thinking skills. She has won many teaching and learning accolades, including the Carrick Australian Award (CAAUT) for University Teaching Citations for her outstanding contributions to student learning, the Curtin Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award, and the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Inc (HERDSA) Fellowship Award.

Meanwhile, Tourism Marketing and Management lecturer Nazaruddin Haji Hamit will present a talk entitled Facebook or Phase-off in the School of Business’ LTBS 1 lecture theatre from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm. Nazaruddin’s talk will be about social networking, particularly how Facebook has influenced today’s business world and how social networking can transform students into technology-savvy creative and critical thinkers and knowledge users.

Those interested to put their science and mathematics skills to the test can look forward to a quiz session which will happen concurrently at 1.30 pm in the LTBS 11 lecture theatre. It will be conducted by Dr. Tan Chong Keng, senior lecturer in the School of Engineering and Science’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

This will be followed by a talk on Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) programmes and career opportunities in the field by the Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh.

In his talk, Dr. Ashutosh will outline the differences between conventional electrical engineering programmes and ECE programmes and also brief the audience on career opportunities in the burgeoning ICT sector.

According to Liew, Curtin Sarawak has invited several hundred students from local secondary schools to attend the Curtin Open Day and they will be provided transportation and refreshments.

Their itinerary will include touring the Future Students Booth and CYA booth, attending the study skills workshop and academic talks, and visiting the Innovation Expo hosted by the School of Engineering and Science, School of Business and School of Foundation and Continuing Studies.

The Innovation Expo, which will be at the foyer of the Harry Perkins Lecture Theatre, will showcase how Curtin Sarawak is ‘making tomorrow better’ through innovation, research and development, teaching and learning, and its holistic approach to education that ensures students are equipped with global knowledge and international experience.

Curtin Open Day is that special occasion each year when Curtin Sarawak opens its doors to all Mirians, inviting them to visit its campus and participate in a variety of interesting activities in a festive and fun atmosphere.

In addition to the academic talks and workshop and the Innovation Expo, there will be food and beverage stalls, retail and activity stalls, stage performances including a Miri Got Talent Contest and dance contest, an ‘Environmental Corner’, a ‘Bike Show’ featuring static displays of big bikes, and eco-friendly electric motorbikes and bicycles, as well as a  ‘Charity & Community Corner’.

There will also be hourly lucky draws and two Grand Prize Draws offering attractive prizes including electrical appliances, hotel and restaurant vouchers, iPads, iPods, notebook PCs and digital cameras.

This year’s Curtin Open Day 2011 main theme Make Tomorrow Better reflects Curtin’s new brand identity and strategic objective to be a forward-looking international research-focused and teaching university positioned amongst the top 20 universities in Asia by 2020.

It is also a ‘green’ event in support of Curtin Sarawak’s environmental initiatives and Miri City Council’s goal to make Miri the first ‘green city’ in Malaysia.

For more information on Curtin Open Day 2011, visit the event website at www.curtin.edu.my/openday2011, or call the event secretariat at +60 85 443806, or e-mail corpcomm@curtin.edu.my.

Highly-experienced and award-winning lecturer Terence Tan to conduct study skills workshop.

Dr. Beena Giridharan, Dean of the School of Foundation and Continuing Studies.

Dr. Tan Chong Keng, senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh.