The students learn batik painting.
MIRI: Twenty-four students from the Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University in Perth, were here for a two-week study tour hosted by the Faculty of Business of Curtin University Malaysia recently.
The visitors were accompanied by the director of student engagement Hannah Wilkinson, and student experience coordinator Becs Stafford as part of Curtin University’s international student mobility programme with other campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius, or partner universities.
The group attended classes at Curtin Malaysia, took part in cultural immersion activities including a batik painting lesson on campus, got engaged on a bead necklace-making demonstration at Miri Heritage Centre, stayed overnight at a longhouse, joined the excursion to Niah National Park, and conducted industrial visits to Miri Port in Kuala Baram and Miri Community Green Hub at Taman Yakin in Krokop.
Miri Port Authority general manager Serawa Budol welcomed the group and gave a presentation on the port authority’s mission, vision and future plans, before the visitors were given a tour around the port including the container storage, discharging, liquefied natural gas installation and bunkering facilities.
At Miri Green Community Hub, the students learned about Miri City Council’s green sustainability initiatives to turn Miri into a ‘Green City’ including Miri Local Agenda 21 and Green City Sustainable Development programmes involving the local community.
In their Niah Caves excursion, they visited the Trader’s Cave, Great Cave, Moon Cave and Painted Cave before heading to Rumah Patrick Libau – a longhouse community/homestay about 3km from Niah National Park headquarters – for an overnight stay, where they were entertained by cultural dances, engaged in the ‘Beranyai’ ceremony, and treated to ethnic cuisines.
“This is a great experience for the Perth students to embrace the local culture, and at the same time, explore the business aspects of this beautiful city,” said Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business acting dean Dr Stephen Sim.
“From eating things that I never knew could be eaten to walking through a rainforest and witnessing Mother Nature at her best, my experience in Miri has been one that I will carry in my heart and soul for a very long time,” said final-year Human Resources and Management student Monique Holland.
“The entire journey of exploring the local culture, living with the indigenous people and exploring the natural wonders of Sarawak is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will not forget anytime soon.
It is an experience that cannot be explained, but rather felt,” said Marketing and Advertising student Sidhee Boodia.
Meanwhile, final-year Human Resources and Management student Cheyenne McMullen said it was ‘an absolute pleasure getting to know the hidden gems of Miri and Sarawak with the adventurous and passionate group’.
For final-year International Business and International Relations student Marcus Sharp, visiting a rural longhouse was unforgettable, and ‘to see people with so little, yet having an incredibly positive outlook on life, was humbling’.
Curtin is a global university known for its high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and commitment to have career-ready graduates with campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius.
It offers the ‘Study Abroad and Student Exchange’ programmes with partner universities in 20 countries, explore short-term study programmes, or choose cross-study options with another Curtin campus as academic programmes are similar across all Curtin campuses.
The visitors get to experience longhouse living at Rumah Patrick Libau.