Miri City Council supporting Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2013

Miri – 30 July 2013 – Miri City Council is lending its support to the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2013 hosted by Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) on 14 September 2013.

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. He said the Miri City Council saw it fit to support the event for the fourth consecutive year as it is considered a major community event that attracts thousands of visitors to the university’s campus each year.

“I urge 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. The university is, after all, an important part of our city and plays an important role in its continued development,” said Lai.

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 sights and activities.

Leong and his committee members comprising staff members and representatives of the university’s student council briefed Lai on preparations for the event, which will feature a number of showcases such as an Innovation Expo, Future Students Booth, Student Support Showcase, fishing competition, frisbee competition, Newspaper Bag Design & Break Competition  Miri Got Talent competition, and Mr & Miss Curtin contest.

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, a blood donation drive and free health checks, photography exhibition, and a Kiddies Corner for the young ones. Academics of the university and invited speakers from industry will also be giving public talks on a variety of topics.

According to Leong, a record 6,130 visitors attended last year’s event and the university is hopeful that an even larger number will show up this year.

He added that Curtin Sarawak’s three schools and student support departments, student academic clubs affiliated to its School of Business and School of Engineering and Science, as well as clubs promoting leadership and entrepreneurship under its University Life Department and a variety of other student clubs, will be showcased and will actively participate in the event.

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Make a change today and make tomorrow better’ in line with Curtin University’s vision to be a recognised international leader in research and education by bringing positive change, embracing the challenges and opportunities of our times to advance understanding and change lives for the better.

Furthermore, it will incorporate environmentally-friendly activities and practices in support of Miri’s goal of becoming a ‘green city’, as well as local charities and community causes, through an Environmental Corner showcasing the Miri City Council’s Local Agenda 21 programme and a Charity & Community Corner participated by a number of local NGOs.

The event will also feature attractive door gifts on a first-come-first-served basis and lucky draw prizes that will include air tickets, flatscreen TVs, tablet PCs and smartphones.

In addition to participation in the Environmental Corner, the city council will also provide administrative, promotional and logistical support to the event, as well as sponsor 1,000 eco-friendly shopping bags.

For more information on Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2013, visit the event website at www.curtin.edu.my/openday2013 or its Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/CurtinUniversitySarawakMalaysia#!/events/359536700842014/, or call the event secretariat at +60 85 443806, or e-mail corpcomm@curtin.edu.my.

Lai and Leong (3rd and 4th right) displaying the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2013 logo while the organising committee members look on.