Schlumberger and Curtin Sarawak sign memorandum on use of industry-standard software at campus

Miri – 5 May, 2010 – Schlumberger and Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and software licence agreement that will significantly enhance teaching and learning and research at Curtin Sarawak.

The MoU and agreement signed between the two parties grants Curtin Sarawak a non-exclusive, non-transferable and royalty-free licence to use Schlumberger’s licenced proprietory software for educational purposes at Curtin Sarawak.

Signing the documents at a simple ceremony held at the Curtin Sarawak campus were Raphael Guerithault, Schlumberger Information Solutions Manager, East Asia Geomarket, for Schlumberger, and Datu Dr. Hatta bin Solhi, Chairman of Curtin (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, for Curtin Sarawak.

Also present were management staff of Schlumberger; Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Ian Kerr; Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Joan Gribble; Dean of the School of Engineering and Science Professor Yudi Samyudia, as well as representatives from various leading oil and gas industry players and the local press.

In his welcoming speech, Pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Ian Kerr thanked Schlumberger for its outstanding contribution to Curtin Sarawak, saying that the state-of-the-art, industry standard software will go far towards the advancement of teaching and learning and research at Curtin Sarawak.

According to Professor Kerr, the signing ceremony marked yet another chapter in the close relationship between Curtin Sarawak and Schlumberger that has been nurtured over some ten years since the establishment of Curtin Sarawak in 1999.

He said the software will significantly enhance the learning experience of students in Curtin Sarawak’s Applied Geology programme and other related programmes as they can use it for any project related to the oil and gas industry, including processing or interpreting geoscience, reservoir and production related data for reservoir modeling and simulation.

“Having such advanced software will give Curtin Sarawak a distinct advantage over other institutions in Malaysia, and certainly puts us at par with our counterparts at Curtin’s main Bentley Campus in Perth,” said Professor Kerr.

He added that, by continually enhancing its facilities, Curtin Sarawak will remain a popular choice for its innovative courses and world-class teaching facilities, as well as its international outlook, flexible study options, applied and practical subjects, ideal campus location, and experienced academics and staff, and, crucially, its use of advanced technology and partnerships with industry.

“At Curtin Sarawak, we aim to produce career-ready graduates with a passion for life-long learning and a commitment to serving the needs of the broader community. To fulfill this aim, our courses have applied, practical subjects with a strong emphasis on industry links, which means students will have the opportunity to work closely with companies in their chosen field while studying with us.

“We will continue to enhance our existing industry links and forge new ones to provide world-class teaching and research facilities to ensure our students receive a diverse, challenging and rewarding education,” he said.

Professor Kerr also thanked all the oil and gas industry players in Sarawak for their continued support for Curtin Sarawak, citing the university’s collaboration with the industry in offering a Diploma in Process Plant Technology (Oil Industry) programme, as well as in training, scholarships and research opportunities, as good examples of successful partnerships with the industry.

He urged Curtin Sarawak’s partners in industry to work hand-in-hand with the university to fulfill the Government’s grand vision for Miri and Sarawak, as well as help progress Malaysia’s capacity-building, knowledge acquisition and skills development.

“I am confident that, with the continued support of our industry partners here in Malaysia, in Australia, and elsewhere around the world, Curtin University of Technology will be able to achieve its goal of being amongst the top 20 universities in Asia by 2020,” he said.

For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit its website at www.curtin.edu.my.

Raphael Guerithault of Schlumberger and Datu Dr. Hatta Solhi of Curtin

(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd signing the MoU and software licence agreement.

Guerithault exchanging documents with Datu Dr. Hatta. Professor Ian Kerr is at far right.