MIRI: Curtin Malaysia took its students to a construction site to give them valuable real-world experience here recently.
They visited a site operated by Pekerjaan Piasau Konkrit Sdn Bhd (PPK) on the Pan Borneo Highway to fulfil their Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in Construction Management study unit requirements.
Upon arrival at the site, the students were met by PPK’s site engineer, who gave a talk on highway construction and the plant and equipment used by the company.
This was followed by a visit to the project site’s material testing laboratory, where the students observed material samples taken from the field site being analysed, before heading to the field site.
While at the field site, the students saw how finished earthwork levels are indicated, and also observed compactors working to achieve the desired finished earthwork levels and degree of compaction.
Dr Low Wai Wah, Head of the Department of Built Environment, said courses at Curtin Malaysia have a practical focus to also increase their employability upon graduation, thus site visits are integral to student learning.
“Visits to real time construction projects like this expose our students to current construction practices, allow them to engage with industry experts, and develop a greater understanding of how civil engineering theory is put into practice.
“They get a personal experience of a construction site and also learn about project management practice related to health and safety, environmental issues and logistics management,” said Dr Low.
Curtin’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management is a four-year honours course available at both its Perth and Malaysia campuses.
