MIRI: A team comprising 17 staff and 14 academics of the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), accompanied by three staff from its School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE), visited Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd’s aluminium smelting plant in Samalaju recently.
This followed the signing of a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a visit to Curtin Malaysia by the senior management of Press Metal Bintulu including group general manager Choa Wei Keong and general manager Kenzer Tan earlier this month.
During their meeting with the management at the plant, collaborative research and solutions for industrial problems were discussed, as well as continuing education for Press Metal Bintulu’s staff, and joint community engagement programmes.
According to a statement issued by Curtin Malaysia yesterday, the visit was part of a five-day industry engagement road trip undertaken by the team where they also visited industry partners in Bintulu, Balingian, Mukah and Sibu.
In addition to Press Metal Bintulu, the other organisations visited were SOP Green Energy Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Petchem Sdn Bhd, Institut Ekosains Borneo at Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB), Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) Mukah-Balingian Coal Fired Power Plant, Sarawak Association of Maritime Industries (SAMIN), Rajang Maju Marine Industries, Vitawani Shipbuilding, and CENTEXS Mukah.
During these visits, they discussed problems faced by the partners and how they could be solved through research and development, and joint projects that could be undertaken with students and staff.
There were also discussions on offering short courses by SPACE to industry staff, collaboration in curriculum development and learning and teaching to make courses at Curtin Malaysia even more industry-relevant, opportunities for postgraduate studies by industry professionals, and the setting up of industry-sponsored laboratories at Curtin Malaysia.
The road trip was sponsored by Curtin Malaysia and Auto Pacifica Sdn Bhd, the official Mitsubishi Motors dealer in Miri, sponsored the use of two brand-new off-road vehicles.
Associate Dean of External Engagement of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, Dr Lim Chye Ing said it was the first time such a road trip was organised by the Curtin Malaysia academics and researchers and it proved a great success and all of the team’s objectives were achieved.
“We have been in contact with all these organisations for some time but unfortunately were not able to meet physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is only now that we can do so, and wasted no time in visiting them all. The outcome has been very positive, resulting in several meaningful collaborations in the coming months,” she said.
Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Prof Tuong-Thuy Vu, meanwhile, thanked all the organisations for the warm welcome extended to the Curtin Malaysia team, and he too expressed hopes that many collaborations for the mutual benefit of Curtin Malaysia and the organisations, as well as the community at large, will result from the visits.
Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
