Abbott (third left) with (from left) Prof Bartlett, Prof Mienczakowski and Australian High Commissioner Rod Smith.
MIRI: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott took time off from his recent whirlwind visit to Malaysia to learn about developments at the Malaysian branch campuses of two Australian universities – Curtin University and Monash University.
Abbott met with Professor Jim Mienczakowski, pro vice-chancellor of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), and Professor Helen Bartlett, pro vice-chancellor of Monash University Malaysia at an afternoon tea hosted by the Australian High Commission at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the Australia-Malaysia education relationship last week.
Also present were HE Rod Smith, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad, secretary general of the Ministry of Education, Malaysia and several prominent representatives of Malaysian private education organisations.
This followed a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak and his wife Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor, in honour of the Australian premier at Seri Perdana, the prime minister’s official residence in Putrajaya, to which the two pro vice-chancellors were also invited.
According to Mienczakowski, Abbott was very keen to touch base with the Australian CEOs of education in Malaysia and learn more about the progress of Australia-Malaysia education ties and discuss ways Australia can better support higher education in Malaysia.
Mienczakowski briefed the Australian premier on progress at Curtin Sarawak, Curtin University’s largest international branch campus, since its establishment in 1999, and the role the Malaysian and Sarawak state governments have played in its development.
As the former executive director of higher education for the Government of Abu Dhabi’s Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Mienczakowski made comparisons to Australian educational initiatives in that country and Malaysia. He also discussed with the Australian premier how such initiatives in countries ranging from Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Australia could make trans-national education more effective.
Curtin Sarawak is the first and largest offshore campus of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and the first foreign university to be established in East Malaysia in partnership with the Sarawak State Government.
Curtin Sarawak offers degree, diploma and postgraduate courses identical to those offered at Curtin’s main Bentley Campus, as well as courses at pre-university level that feed directly into its undergraduate programmes.
In accordance with Curtin’s reputation for excellence, academic staff members are recruited internationally and are of the highest calibre.
Currently, Curtin Sarawak has approximately 3,500 students from over 40 countries studying in a truly international and cross-cultural environment. It is a member of the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu).
In 2010, Curtin Sarawak was granted self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), which in addition awarded Curtin Sarawak a Tier Five or Excellent Rating in its 2009 and 2011 SETARA Rating for institutions of higher learning, placing Curtin Sarawak among the premier universities in Malaysia. Curtin Sarawak is also ISO 9001:2008 certified.