Western Australian university expands to Sarawak

21/9/02
Education Minister Alan Carpenter will depart Perth on Sunday for Malaysia to attend the official opening on Monday of the Curtin University's Sarawak campus in the east Malaysian city of Miri.
The Minister said the new campus, built in addition to the Riam Road Sarawak campus established in 1999, would serve to strengthen existing links between Western Australia and Sarawak.
"WA already has a strong relationship with Malaysia in an educational sense, with the 2,000 Malaysian students attending WA universities representing 25 per cent of the State's international student population," Mr Carpenter said.
"This new Sarawak campus will also provide great opportunities for further co-operative research projects between Malaysia and WA."
Mr Carpenter said WA universities made significant economic, social and cultural contributions to the State and that he supported their initiatives to expand their services into the international arena.
"The combination of international staff at Sarawak and access to lecturers at Curtin's WA campus will ensure that Sarawak campus students receive a quality education," he said.
"With a fine international reputation preceding the opening of the new campus, it is expected that students will come from as far afield as Asia and the Middle-East."
Mr Carpenter said the degree courses offered by the new campus would provide exactly the same content as those at Curtin University WA.
The Minister will also be meeting with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Miri to discuss potential opportunities in several key industry sectors and to outline the State Government's education export strategy.
The Minister will also meet with the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce in Kuching to discuss education and industry strategies to bring about closer ties with Sarawak.
Minister's office: 9213 6800