Curtin Malaysia students receive industry awards for excellence

Miri – 5 May 2018 – 82 students and recent graduates of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) received awards for excellence from a diverse range of industry sponsors at the eleventh Curtin Malaysia Awards Ceremony held at the five-star Miri Marriott Resort & Spa here recently.

The ceremony coincided with the university’s graduation ceremonies on the same day which saw 682 students, its largest-ever graduate cohort, graduating with Curtin undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

This year’s award sponsors comprised both long-time industry partners of the university and a number of new sponsors, as well as professional bodies such as ACCA Malaysia, the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, Board of Engineers Malaysia, CPA Australia, Institution of Engineers Malaysia and Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The also included accounting firms Crowe Horwath, Ernst & Young and KPMG, and major corporations like the Samling Group of Companies, Sarawak Energy Berhad, Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad, Shell Malaysia, Shin Yang Group of Companies, Novakey Developers, Ocean Vantage Engineering, and Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS).

Completing the list of sponsors were the Sarawak Higher Education Foundation, Yayasan Sarawak, Bintulu Development Authority, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wan Ullok Jugah Chin & Co. Advocates, Curtin Malaysia’s Pro-Chancellor Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan, and Sarawak Assistant Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin, who is chair of Curtin Malaysia’s management board.

The awards were for academic merit in the university’s business, engineering, science and arts programs, as well as for outstanding extracurricular achievement in the form of the John Curtin Leadership Academy Graduate List Awards, Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin Outstanding Student Community Contribution Awards, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club Award for Outstanding Performance in a National Competition Award, and Sarawak Higher Education Foundation Outstanding Leadership Award.

Dr. Chan in his official address said the annual awards ceremony celebrates excellence in academia, leadership, service and personal character among its students, and in so doing, celebrates the promise they represent of even greater accomplishments in the future.

He urged the awardees to remain enthusiastic always, to continue aiming high and pursue excellence in all that they do, set high goals and persevere through adversity, and above all, be open to the wonderful, unexpected opportunities that await them.

Professor Mienczakowski, meanwhile, thanked the award sponsors for their contributions, which was the highest ever this year. He commended the Samling Group of Companies, Sarawak Energy Berhad and Novakey Developers for being the three largest contributors, and welcomed new sponsors Ocean Vantage Engineering, the Board of Engineers Malaysia, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club and Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad to the sponsors club.

Professor Mienczakowski also expressed hopes that the sponsors would extend their support beyond awards sponsorship to other forms of philanthropy such as the funding of scholarships and bursaries, collaborative research, equipment and campus facilities.

The guest of honour at the event was His Excellency Andrew Goledzinowski, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, who was in Miri to attend both the graduation and awards events.

Also attending were senior leaders of Curtin University from Perth including Acting Chancellor Sue Wilson, Curtin Council member Steve Scudamore, Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor – International Professor Seth Kunin.

Also present were Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin; Chairman of Curtin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Datu Ose Murang, and members of the Curtin Malaysia Council, Board of Directors and Management Board, as well as Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski, senior management, deans and managers of Curtin Malaysia and the industry sponsors.

Among the award recipients were 46 students who were inducted into the Vice-Chancellor’s List created in 1991 to acknowledge and recognise outstanding performance by undergraduate students and promote an intellectual culture among students.

In addition, two students received awards for their graduation from Curtin’s elite John Curtin Leadership Academy programme, while another two received Yayasan Sarawak’s Outstanding Graduate Awards for 2018.

For more information on Curtin Malaysia, visit its website (www.curtin.edu.my), its Facebook page (CurtinMalaysia), Twitter profile (curtinmalaysia), Google+ page (Curtin Malaysia) or Instagram (curtinmalaysia).

Professor Mienczakowski welcoming guests, sponsors and awardees.

Professor Terry presenting a Vice-Chancellor’s List award to student.

Sue Wilson presenting award to John Curtin Leadership Academy graduate Caroline Muramba.

Professor Mienczakowski and Andrew Wee, Assistant General Manager for Group Administration of Samling Group of Companies (5th left) with recipients of Samling awards.

Professor Mienczakowski and Sharbini Suhaili, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Energy Berhad (5th left) with winners of SEB awards.

Professor Mienczakowski and Dato’ David Goh Kien Ping. Managing Director of Novakey Developers (3rd left), with Novakey award winners.

Group photo of VIPs with award sponsors.

Australian High Commissioner Andrew Goledzinowski in conversation with Acting Chancellor Sue Wilson.

VIP guests seated at their table.