Over 200 attend Curtin Malaysia’s 2nd BIM Symposium

Miri – 4 April 2024 –The 2nd Borneo Building Information Modelling (BIM) Symposium was held successfully at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently. It was attended by over 200 participants, both physically and online, being a hybrid event.

The event was jointly organised by the Faculty of Engineering and Science’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Curtin Highway Infrastructure Research and Innovation Hub (CHIRI), in collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities and Health Science’s Department of Built Environment, and the student-run civil engineering academic club, Curtin Civil Society (CCS).

The symposium aimed to bring together industry practitioners, engineers, and academia from China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Europe to share and discuss their experiences using building information in design, construction, and project management. Digital construction technologies such as drones, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) were also showcased. The delegates included Curtin Malaysia students and staff, students from Kolej Vokasional Miri (KVM), academics from other institutions, and industry practitioners.

In his opening speech, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Vincent Lee reiterated Curtin Malaysia’s commitment to advancing BIM in academia and industry. He underscored the importance of BIM and how it has revolutionised the way construction projects are conceived, planned, and executed, as well as its integration into various aspects of civil and environmental engineering, construction management, and quantity surveying.

He highlighted Curtin Malaysia’s efforts in embedding BIM education into its Bachelor of Engineering programmes, equipping its students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to navigate the complexities of modern construction projects.

Professor Lee stressed the pivotal role of engineers and scientists of the future in addressing the world’s societal and environmental challenges through innovation and the adoption of new technologies. Thus, he encouraged the students attending to learn as much as they could from the industry professionals, who exchanged insights, shared best practices, and outlined the course of further BIM implementation in Malaysia and globally.

The symposium’s keynote speakers included Professor Sambit Datta from Curtin University, Australia, who spoke on ‘Urban Energy Modelling and Analytics’; Eric Tan from United Tec Construction Pte. Ltd., Singapore, who spoke on ‘Prefabricated Precast Volumetric Construction (PPVC) in Singapore’; Ir. Ts. Shazwan Ehsan of PCSS Consultancy Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia, who discussed the ‘Value of Digital Construction’; Dr. Ngo Ngoc Tri from the University of Danang, Vietnam, who talked about ‘AI-based Prediction of Building Energy Consumption, BIM, AI Application in Construction Engineering’.

Also among the keynote speakers were Dr. Umit Isikdag from Beykent University, Turkey, who presented on ‘BIM and ISO 19650: How to Implement Standards in Practice’; Dr. Aidin Nobahar Sadeghifam from Byldis CO of the Netherlands, who discussed, ‘BIM Base Information Delivery Specification (BIM Base IDS)’; Professor Wang Chen from Huaqiao University, China, who spoke on ‘Intelligence and Automation in Construction.’

The symposium concluded with closing remarks by Professor Tuong Thuy Vu, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science. Also present were Associate Professor Wong Kwong Soon, Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering Department; Ir. Meheron Selowara Joo, Senior Lecturer of Civil and Construction Engineering; Professor Tang Fu Ee, Curtin Malaysia’s Dean of Learning and Teaching; and John Curtin Distinguished Professor Ramasamy Nagarajan, Dean Research and Development and Director of the Curtin Malaysia Research Institute (CMRI).

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.

Students from Kolej Vokasional Miri were among the delegates attending the symposium

Prof Lee giving his opening speech

Delegates listening to Prof Sambit Datta giving his online talk on ‘Urban Energy Modeling and Analytics’