The students posing for a group photo with Matang Wildlife Centre manager Siali Aban (front row, second left).
MIRI: Seven environmental engineering undergraduate students from Curtin University, Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) took a three-day field trip to Kuching recently, as part of their course’s ENST 2002 Conservation Biology and Sustainability unit.
Among the places they visited were the Sarawak office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, Matang Wildlife Centre, Fisheries Research Institute at Bintawa and the Sarawak Museum.
Accompanying the students on the field trip were unit lecturer Dr Tay Ai Chen and Dr John Lau Sie Yon, coordinator of Curtin Malaysia’s environmental engineering programme.
Dr Tay said that such field trips really enrich the students’ learning experiences, taking them out of the classroom and into the real world.
“This trip enabled the students to appreciate the biodiversity of Sarawak and the importance of flora and fauna in the ecosystem, so that they will have a greater awareness of nature and the environment in their future careers as environmental engineers,” she said.
According to Dr Lau, such field trips are regularly organised for Curtin Malaysia’s environmental engineering students.
“Curtin places great emphasis on ensuring students are industry-ready when they graduate. The trips provide the students with valuable industrial exposure and experience as well as the opportunity to observe environmental engineers at work,” he pointed out.
Curtin’s environmental engineering programme was developed at Curtin Malaysia and commenced in 2015. The course structure integrates fundamentals from three majors: chemical engineering, civil and construction engineering and environmental sciences. The core curriculum is designed to address major global concerns such as environmental conservation and engineering sustainability. The breadth and depth of the curriculum equips students with complex engineering problem-solving skills and an innovative and creative engineering experience. Graduates of the programme will enjoy good employment prospects as the demand for environmental engineers is growing rapidly throughout the world.