Importance of learning mathematics imparted to Curtin Malaysia foundation and diploma students

Miri – 6 April 2023 – Around 120 foundation and diploma students of the School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE) at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) were given a guest lecture on the importance of learning mathematics by Claudius Weson, an Ensure Safe Production (ESP) Coach with Sarawak Shell Berhad, recently.

The one-hour lecture, which was part of the students’ foundation mathematics lectures, was aimed at underscoring the importance of learning mathematics and its application in industry and daily life.

Claudius, who has been with Shell for the past 11 years, started his career as an operations engineer and has worked in various roles within the operations space, including as production engineer and operations support engineer, before being promoted to ESP Coach.

He shared his personal experiences in the oil and gas industry and explained how mathematics was crucial to his daily work, such as for problem-solving, especially in minimising errors. He said that errors in the industry can lead to poor safety and security, which can have devastating consequences.

The guest lecture was quite an eye-opener for many of the students. One of them, Lee Chao Cherng, said he did not realise how important mathematics was in industry until he heard Claudius’ lecture.

“The lecture was very informative and I will definitely pay more attention to mathematics from now on,” said Lee.

Claudius also highlighted the significance of a good education and continuous learning. He advised the students to always keep learning and expanding their knowledge to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of industry and business.

Also attending were SPACE engineering mathematics lecturers Jameson Malang and Shubashini Krishnan, who arranged the guest lecture.

Jameson remarked that mathematics is important in many fields as it allows industry practitioners to better understand complex problems and find suitable solutions.

“It is vital to understand the importance of mathematics and how it is used in the real world, and this is instilled in all our students throughout their studies so that they are suitably equipped for their future careers,” he said.

Director of SPACE, Associate Professor Fidella Tiew, said the school was grateful for the support it gets from industry professionals like Claudius. Besides guest lectures, talks and workshops by industry professionals, students also benefit from site visits and other activities designed to give them relevant industry exposure

“We are grateful to Mr. Claudius for his insightful guest lecture and hope that it will encourage our students to take a keener interest in mathematics and its applications in the real world,” said Tiew.

SPACE offers foundation courses in Arts and Commerce, and Engineering and Science that feed into related undergraduate courses in commerce, arts, humanities, engineering, science and technology at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business, Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, and Faculty of Engineering and Science, as well as at other Curtin campuses.

The school currently offers three two-year diploma courses, in Commerce, Information Technology, and Media Studies, with more in the pipeline. These diplomas are also pathways to related Curtin undergraduate courses.

For more information on SPACE and the courses it offers, visit https://cmspace.curtin.edu.my/ or email cm.space@curtin.edu.my. Intakes for both the foundation and diploma courses are ongoing, with the next trimester commencing in July.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit www.curtin.edu.my or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.

Claudius explaining the application of mathematics in oil and gas industry.

Group photo of students and SPACE staff with Claudius.

Claudius fielding questions from the students.

The packed lecture theatre for Claudius’ guest lecture

Assoc Prof Fidella Tiew presenting Claudius a token of appreciation