Scene of graduates and stage party during the graduation ceremony.
Miri – 23 April 2015 – Graduates of Curtin University should be proud of graduating from a university recently ranked equal 10th in the world for international outlook, and one that is now recognised as being in the top two per cent of universities in the world, having risen more places in the latest rankings of international universities than any other Australian university.
This was highlighted by Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University, Professor Deborah Terry, when addressing the graduating class of 2014 from the Faculty of Engineering and Science and Faculty of Business and Humanities of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently.
Curtin Sarawak is Curtin’s largest international campus offering Curtin courses and degrees identical in all respects to those of its Australian parent. It further provides an undifferentiated student learning experience utilising the latest learning technologies and Curtin’s strong student learning support mechanisms.
She went on to say that Curtin’s reputation benefits hugely not only from the reputation and profile of Curtin Sarawak but also from the achievements of our graduates, citing the examples of graduates Bay Yeo, Melissa Dewi and James Ling, who count among Curtin Sarawak’s most successful graduates.
Yeo graduated from Civil & Construction Engineering with Honours at Curtin Sarawak and went on to complete his PhD at the main campus. He is now Managing Director at OSEN Group in Perth. He was the recipient of the 2012 Western Australia Young Professional Engineer Award and former president of the Curtin Sarawak Student Council.
Indonesian Melissa Dewi completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) with first class honours at Curtin Sarawak before graduating with a PhD in nanotechnology from the University of South Australia. She was featured recently as an outstanding international student by Australia Plus.
Ling, meanwhile, graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin Sarawak and is now Executive Director of Shin Yang Shipping in Miri.
Commenting on Curtin’s role in Malaysia, Professor Terry said she was very proud that the university’s mission to produce graduates of global calibre aligns closely with the country’s aspirations to build a skilled and educated workforce in order to support economic growth.
She added that in Sarawak, its courses, research and campus community work help to build the social and economic fabric of the state, including helping to meet the manpower and technical requirements of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
She also said that as the graduates make their way out of university life, they are in esteemed company, joining 185,000 Curtin graduates from more than 100 different countries in Curtin’s diverse alumni network.
The ceremony saw the graduation of 275 undergraduate students of the Faculty of Business and Humanities with degrees in arts, business administration and commerce, and 27 postgraduate students with degrees in accounting and project management.
A further 225 undergraduate students of the Faculty of Engineering and Science graduated with degrees in engineering, science (applied geology) and technology (computer systems and networking), and eight postgraduate students with MPhil and PhD degrees in various engineering disciplines.
Others present at the graduation were Acting Chancellor Sue Wilson, Provost and Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor David Wood, Curtin Sarawak Pro-Chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan, and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski.
Also present were Sarawak Assistant Minister of Communications and chair of the Curtin Sarawak Management Board, Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin; and Datu Dr. Hatta bin Solhi, chairman of Curtin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
A separate graduation ceremony for 103 graduates from various diploma programmes offered in collaboration with Federation Training of Australia was held later that day.
