Miri City Council supporting annual Curtin Sarawak Open Day

Miri – 6 August 2014 – Miri City Council is lending its support to the eighth annual open day of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) on 20 September 2014.

Mayor of Miri Lawrence Lai disclosed this when receiving members of the event organising committee led by organising chairman Nicholas Leong, who is Curtin Sarawak’s corporate communications manager, at his office yesterday. Also present was city councilor James Hii Sing Lung.

Lai said the Miri City Council was pleased to support the event for the fifth consecutive year as it is considered a major community event that attracts thousands of visitors to the university’s campus each year. A record 7,412 visitors attended last year and the university hopes to break the 10,000 mark this year.

He urged all Mirians to take advantage of the event to visit Curtin Sarawak and discover what it has to offer terms of academic programmes, facilities and campus life. He was also pleased that the theme of this year’s event is ‘Celebrating 15 Years in Sarawak’ as Curtin Sarawak is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary as Miri’s sole university and one of the leading tertiary institutions in Malaysia.

Echoing this, Leong said the Curtin Sarawak Open Day is that special annual event when the university invites prospective students and their families, as well as the local community, to visit its campus and spend the day enjoying the activities lined up. Visitors this year will also have the opportunity to learn about Curtin Sarawak’s many achievements in its 15 years of existence.

Leong and his committee members briefed Lai on preparations for the event, which will feature a number of showcases such as an Innovation Expo, Future Students Booth, fishing competition, car and big bike shows and a 15th Anniversary exhibition, as well as the annual Miri’s Got Talent and Mr & Miss Curtin contests.

Students of secondary schools in Miri have been invited to attend the event and participate in academic activities specially organised for them.

In addition, a wide variety of food and beverages will be sold by student clubs, local hotels and food outlets throughout the day, and there will be stage performances, free health checks and a Kiddies Corner for the young ones.

There will also be cultural showcases by various community associations, including a traditional Melanau Tibou by the Miri Melanau Association, which was one of the main highlights of last year’s event.

Leong added that Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business and School of Engineering and Science and their affiliated student academic clubs, the Curtin Sarawak Research Institute (CSRI), various student support departments, as well as student clubs promoting leadership and entrepreneurship under its Leadership & Entrepreneurship Centre (LEC), will be showcased.

Furthermore, the event will see the participation of a number of local charities and non-governmental organisations, in addition to the Miri City Council’s Local Agenda 21 programme, at a Charity & Community Corner.

Visitors can look forward to attractive door gifts and lucky draw prizes that will include a return air ticket to Melbourne, flatscreen TVs, tablet PCs, smartphones and a range of other electronic gadgets and appliances. Tickets priced at RM5 each for the redemption of door gifts and participation in the day-long lucky draws will go on sale soon and all proceeds will go the charities participating in the event.

Lai disclosed that in addition to participation in the Charity & Community Corner, the Miri City Council will provide funding, administrative, promotional and logistical support to the event.

For more information on Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014, visit the event website at www.curtin.edu.my/openday2014 or its Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/301593253335033/.

Local businesses that would like to participate in the event by opening exhibition booths to promote their products and services can call the event secretariat at +60 85 443806 or e-mail corpcomm@curtin.edu.my. Corporate sponsorship is also being sought and companies interested to explore partnership opportunities can also contact the secretariat. To date, some 30 companies and organisations have pledged their support for the event.

Lai (centre), Hii and Leong (3rd and 5th left) and committee members displaying the logo and door gift and lucky draw tickets for this year’s Curtin Sarawak Open Day.