MIRI: Curtin University Malaysia recently hosted the Investment and Trade Commissioner for the Government of Western Australia to Asean Krista Dunstan on her first familiarisation visit to Curtin University’s largest global campus and hub in Asean member countries.
Dunstan who is currently based in Singapore is Western Australia’s government representative for 10 Asean countries working to attract investment into and increase trade with Western Australia.
Joining Curtin Malaysia pro vice-chancellor, president, and chief executive professor Simon Leunig to welcome Dunstan to the campus were deputy pro vice-chancellor professor Vincent Lee, acting chief operating officer associate professor Pieter Pottas, and dean of Research and Development professor Ramasamy Nagarajan.
“In their meeting with Dunstan, they shared and exchanged ideas regarding research, student development, course offerings, education pathways, scholarships, and industry engagement. They also discussed opportunities for collaboration between the government of Western Australia Office and Curtin Malaysia in the near future.
“Leunig highlighted Curtin Malaysia’s 24-year existence and its upcoming silver anniversary in 2025, its global rankings, as well as its ownership by the state government through the Sarawak Foundation and its commitment to serve Sarawak’s socio-economic needs,” it said in a press statement today (Feb 17).
At the same time, Pottas who is also director of Curtin Biovalley Sdn Bhd briefed the commissioner on the biotechnological research being carried out at the facility.
He shared about Curtin Malaysia’s new aquaculture teaching and research centre which is currently under construction and the soon-to-commence Digital Centre of Excellence, both will significantly enhance its industry-aligned education and research.
Dunstan said she was pleased to know what Curtin Malaysia is doing in international education and giving students opportunities to reach their full potential and would help to make stakeholders in the Western Australian government and in the region aware of these opportunities.
The visit ended with a tour of Curtin Malaysia’s library, distribution and collaborative learning spaces and the Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant, as well as the Curtin Global Admissions Office based in Miri which processes student applications to all of Curtin’s campuses.
Also present during the visit representing the Faculty of Business, Faculty of Engineering and Science and Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences respectively were faculty dean Professor Andreas Zins, associate dean of Research and Development Associate Professor John Lau and Media and Communication programme coordinator Dr. Ngu Ik Ying, while director Associate Professor Fidella Tiew represented the School of Pre-U and Continuing Education.
