JOHN CURTIN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (JCLA) Developing future leaders with entrepreneurial spirit and community values

Miri – 29 May, 2009 – The John Curtin Leadership Academy (JCLA) has once again gone through a successful semester of developing accomplished student leaders at Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak).

A Poster Presentation session was held at Curtin Sarawak’s newly-opened Recreation and Events Centre on 29 May 2009 to showcase the JCLA programme and its activities. The event was attended Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Lee Kim Shin, who is also the chairman of Curtin Sarawak’s management board; Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor of Curtin Sarawak, Professor Joan Gribble, as well as employers from various industries and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Miri.

22 JCLA student ambassadors from two intakes of potential future leaders presented their community projects to the guests and shared their personal reflections on their participation in the JCLA.

15 members of the from the inaugural batch of student ambassadors are looking forward to graduation from Curtin Sarawak just as they complete their year-long programme in the Academy. The remaining 7 will be engaging in yet another challenging community-based project in their second semester.

“The John Curtin Leadership Academy has successfully developed a number of outstanding and committed student leaders who have done Curtin Sarawak proud with their entrepreneurial spirit and community service. Their experience in the JCLA will provide a solid foundation for them to become exemplary employees and leaders after they graduate and enter the workforce, and I trust they will continue to be ambassadors for Curtin Sarawak and the JCLA for a long time to come,” said Professor Gribble.

The JCLA is a year-long prestigious leadership programme developed by Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia to groom and grow young leaders beyond the classroom. It also instils in them the three core values of Vision, Leadership and Community Service expounded by former Australian Prime Minister John Curtin, who is regarded as one of the country’s most successful leaders and wartime hero, and after whom the university is named.

The programme consists of workshops, seminars and two semester-long projects. The Foundation Project teaches fund-raising, relationship-building and networking skills, while the Advanced Project focuses on developing students’ work ethic and business acumen, along with other skills such as project and conflict management, presentation and communication skills, as well as entrepreneurship.

A Poster Presentation concludes each semester’s project. Future employers are invited to attend the event to evaluate the integrity of the participants and to consider them as potentially valuable assets to their organisations.

For more information on the JCLA, contact:
Haslina Malek
University Life @ Curtin
Tel : +6 085 443939 ext. 3877
Fax : +6 085 443961
Email : haslina.m@curtin.edu.my
universitylife@curtin.edu.my

Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Joan Gribble giving welcoming speech.

YB Lee Kim Shin delivering his address.

Student ambassadors briefing YB Lee on their projects.

Guests and management staff of Curtin Sarawak with JCLA student ambassadors.

The senior batch of JCLA student ambassadors.