As Sarawak aspires to become a high-income and advanced state by 2030 through digitalisation and the use of green energy such as hydrogen fuel cell, Chief Minister YAB Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg looked forward to the continuous role of Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus (Swinburne Sarawak) in providing highly skilled talents who can contribute to Sarawak’s socio-economic development and sustainability, especially in a post COVID-19 environment.
“Swinburne Sarawak was established primarily to produce Sarawakians with the skills and knowledge to drive the state’s high technology industries, enhance competitiveness in business and to boost our human resource capacity for the tasks that face us now and in the future as Sarawak industrialises, digitalises and globalises its economy,” he said in his speech when gracing Swinburne Sarawak’s 20th anniversary celebration (2000-2020) at the university itself on 31 March 2021.
He added that he was proud of the fact that of the 7,000 graduates that Swinburne Sarawak has produced so far, 65 percent are Sarawakians.
He was also delighted to hear that Swinburne graduates are highly in demand by the industry, with more than 90 percent gaining employment six months upon graduation.
“This is certainly a reflection of the high quality education and the relevance of the courses Swinburne Sarawak offers to meet industry demands,” he noted.
Moving forward, he stated that the Sarawak Government, through Yayasan Sarawak, is collaborating with Swinburne Sarawak to turn the latter into a “leading institution of higher learning in Malaysia by 2025” by developing it into a world-class campus in Kuching that can hold up to 5,000 students, and a research ecosystem that is in line with the Government’s priority areas and with close links with Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia (Swinburne Melbourne).
To start, the Government and Swinburne Melbourne are investing RM50 million into an infrastructure upgrading project that is set to enhance the campus experience for students.
Of this total allocation, RM10 million had been used for the modernisation of teaching and communal spaces on campus to support student-centred learning, which was undertaken from 2019 to March 2021.
The remaining RM40 million involves reconstructing and extending the university’s existing building and supportive facilities. This phase began in early December 2020 and is expected to be completed in 18 months. Components in this phase comprise a new student hub, food hall, student village and the Borneo Atrium that includes an extension to the library.
