MIRI: Both Australia and Malaysia are keen to explore more collaboration in various fields, including renewable energy development, particularly in Sarawak.
Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Dr Justin Lee, said both countries shared a long history of engagement and collaboration in the area of education and research, dating back to the first Colombo Plan scholarships.
He pointed out that among the key areas of interest were environmental chemistry, wastewater treatment, biomass conversion, membrane technology, nanomaterials and green materials.
“Many of Malaysia’s current leaders in politics, business, civil society and academia completed their university studies in Australia, shaping the deep people-to-people links between our two countries,” he said on Monday (Feb 21).
He was met after touring Curtin University Sarawak Campus here.
He was welcomed by Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin and Curtin Malaysia pro vice-chancellor and president Prof Simon Leunig.
Dr Justin Lee was accompanied by his wife, Jeane Lona, Australian High Commission education counsellor, Fiona Morris, Australian High Commission second secretary Luke McGreevy.
“Some, like the current Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud studied in Australia under the original Colombo Plan scholarships, paving the way for generations of Malaysians to come.”
Since 2002, over 125,000 Malaysians have studied in Australia and many more in the decades before, and over 3,000 Australian students have chosen to study and intern in Malaysia under the New Colombo Plan since 2015.
“Malaysia is an especially important education partner for Australia, exemplified by the four physical Australian university campuses located in different parts of Malaysia, including this university, Curtin University Malaysia.”
Approximately 20,000 Malaysians are currently studying at an Australian institution in Malaysia.
He also disclosed a strategic planning to form a South China Sea research centre to address maritime issues and risk within the surrounding area.
“I believed with the establishment of this centre (the South China Sea centre), research on maritime issues can be carried out with the involvement of the participating countries.”
