KUCHING - The first thing that strikes you when you step into Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus is the cosmopolitan make-up of its student and staff.

Established in Kuching, the capital city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak in 2000 and growing rapidly since then, the campus boasts a student population of about 3,000. More than 15 per cent of this number hail from over 30 countries. Like a little United Nations, on campus you will meet students from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tanzania, Vietnam and many others. You will meet many students from Sri Lanka as well.

International Scholar Educational Services (Pty) Limited, represents Swinburne University Sarawak Campus in Sri Lanka. In class, these students are taught by highly qualified and experienced academic staff from equally diverse countries. Apart from Malaysia, you will encounter international teaching staff from as far as Australia, Azerbaijan, Germany, India, Malaysia, Singapore, US and UK. The diversity of students and staff makes Swinburne Sarawak a truly international university.

The university offers courses in business, engineering, science, computing and design from foundation to postgraduate levels. These courses tackle real-world issues and provide hands-on learning to prepare its graduates to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. Most courses involve applied learning such as classes in the laboratory, case studies, teamwork, research projects and project-based assignments.

"The courses are designed to prepare graduates to live and work in a world in which professionals need to be capable of high levels of international interaction," says Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief executive of Swinburne Sarawak.

"A Swinburne education emphasizes the development of the skills graduates need to gain employment or go out and set up a new venture to provide self-employment and eventually to employ others," he says.

Australian syllabus and qualification
As a foreign branch university campus, courses at Swinburne Sarawak are undifferentiated from those of its home campus in Melbourne, and its graduates are awarded the same internationally recognized Australian degree.

As quality mechanisms ensure that the same high standards are maintained, a Swinburne degree has the same high standards whether you study in Kuching or Melbourne.

Affordable Australian quality education
Tertiary education at Swinburne Sarawak is affordable as it is only a fraction of the cost of studying in Australia. Students are able to complete an Australian degree entirely in Kuching and earn a degree awarded by a 100-year-old institution.

Complete your studies in Kuching or Melbourne
While students may complete their studies in Kuching, they also have the option of transferring to complete them at Swinburne's other campuses in Melbourne since the courses and subjects are the same. Undergraduates may also participate in an exchange programme where they may spend a semester in Melbourne, giving them an unmatched opportunity to enrich their university experience.

Technologically advanced campus
The campus was expanded at a cost of RM110 million last year and gives students access to more technologically advanced facilities and the capacity to accommodate 5,000 students.
Funded by the Sarawak Government, a major shareholder, the expansion sees the addition of eight new buildings: the Chancellery block; Business, IT and Science block; Engineering block; lecture theatre; female and male hostels; a multi-purpose hall with sports facilities; and a seven-storey car park. Equipped with the latest audio-visual technology and sound-proofed walls, its 10, 244 sq ft-lecture theatre seats 350.

The library accommodates 700 students, providing learning resources and services to support the university's teaching, learning and research programmes. Its services and facilities have been specially designed to integrate modern digital technology with traditional information resources. Also added are 83 laboratories for engineering, research and science as well as 37 tutorial rooms. More than RM10 million worth of cutting-edge equipment for engineering and science courses are being put in place.
Open computer laboratories are equipped with the latest desktop computers and multimedia applications. State-of-the-art production facilities enable students to create professional video productions such as short films, commercials and music videos. Two fully furnished on-campus hostels provide more than 430 students with all the conveniences of home, while a multipurpose hall offers a gym, badminton, basketball and squash courts. Tennis courts sit atop the seven-storey parking structure.

Scholarships
Swinburne Sarawak acknowledges and awards scholarships to eligible students. Its Entrance scholarship is awarded to new students who have done well while in secondary while those who achieve good results in their respective programmes at Swinburne Sarawak can look forward to Merit Scholarship awards.

Scholarship awards presentation is held twice a year and is usually a formal event with the Press in attendance.

For further information please contact International Scholar Educational Services (Pvt) Limited on 011 2553466 / 2593571
Media Contact: David Teng, Communications and PR Executive, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, State Complex, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93350 Kuching Tel +60 82 415 353 / Fax +60 82 428 353 Email dteng@swinburne.edu.my