BY NATASHA JEE & GOH PEI PEI
KUCHING: Sarawak is looking at the feasibility of offering aerospace courses through one of its state-owned universities, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus (Swinburne Sarawak).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the university could work together with its counterpart Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, to offer such courses.
“We have an advantage because we have our university colleagues in Australia, and now Australia has a new field called Aerospace.
“God willing, next year, I will visit Swinburne Melbourne Campus to see whether or not we can work together to offer this new discipline.”
He told the media this after officiating at the Swinburne Sarawak graduation ceremony held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching here on Tuesday (Oct 17).
Abang Johari, who is also the Swinburne Sarawak pro-chancellor, said Sarawak is looking at offering such courses in line with the state’s plan to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
“In addition, the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has collaborated with Airbus and these are new fields which Swinburne Sarawak can produce disciplines that are related to aerospace and also airplane components.”
On another note, he said Sarawak is targeting to produce more chip designers.
“We currently have 20 chip designers, and we need 30 more. This is because Sarawak is already doing chip design services for X-FAB here,” he said, adding that more Sarawakians have returned from overseas to work in the state.
He said the Penang government can collaborate with the Sarawak government in the IT industry.
To produce more chip designers, he said there is a need to offer several disciplines that are related to artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT).
“Swinburne Sarawak now offers courses up to Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) level for design and this will help us produce graduates who specialises in industrial design and chip design under the IT faculty. This can help produce experts in designs.”
He stressed that as the world of design is constantly changing, experts in such field must also keep upskilling.
