Message from - Curtin University

Message from
PROFESSOR IAN KERR
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Greetings!
This is not only a very special occasion for our new graduates - this historic graduating cohort of 2010 - but also a very important
milestone for Curtin Sarawak and the many people here today who have contributed to its success. Today, we celebrate the 10th
Graduation Ceremony for Curtin Sarawak with a cohort of over 400 graduating students.
At Curtin Sarawak, we continually seek to equip our graduates with the Curtin graduate attributes, topmost of which is the ability to
apply their knowledge, and the ability to be critical and creative thinkers, in solving practical problems and serving the larger
community.
In this modern day and age, especially with the incredible pace of technological advancement, you also need to be technology savvy
and research smart, and commit yourselves to a lifetime of continual learning.
Furthermore, in today's highly competitive and increasingly global working environment, you need every advantage you can get to
advance and improve your marketability. You are thus required to be the best that you can be profession-wise, in addition to being
international citizens in the truest sense of the word in tune with world developments and trends, able to communicate with people
from East and West and at all levels, and moreover, culturally sensitive when interacting with others or managing subordinates.
I am glad that many of our graduates who preceded you have applied these attributes to the fullest and have established
themselves as major contributors to industry and community, in Malaysia and internationally.
I am also very pleased that the University's mission to produce graduates of global calibre is in alignment with the aspirations of
Malaysia, the State of Sarawak, and the local community, which include the development of skilled and educated human capital to
support economic growth. Curtin Sarawak is a solid contributor to the social and economic development of Sarawak and the local
community through community work, teaching and research. We are also fully committed to gearing our graduates and research
towards the requirements of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy or SCORE.
The degree you receive today should not be thought of as a reward, but rather an opportunity, a commitment, an obligation to go
forward and continue the life-long process of learning. The knowledge and skills, and the graduate attributes, you have acquired at
Curtin Sarawak should now be forged into what we call 'excellence'.
May your graduation award always serve to remind you of your goals, and your abilities, and the very important role of education in
your lives. Importantly, as you go forward in your lives, always live up to the Curtin values of integrity, respect, fairness, understanding,
harmony and look ever forward.
Your parents sent you to Curtin Sarawak not just because of our high standards and reputation for excellence and innovation, but
because they value education and knew that if you are educated, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. So, graduates, just by
being here today, you are giving your parents the best gift that they could ever receive and that is the gift of having earned a university
degree, and a gift often described as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
Each one of us is born with seeds of success. Our parents, our environment and schools and universities, like Curtin Sarawak, plant
the seeds, till the soil, nurture and nourish each one of us until we develop into that special someone who can compete with anybody,
anywhere, at any level.
Never underestimate what you have gained at Curtin Sarawak. Getting a Curtin degree is a significant achievement; Curtin does not
hand out degrees to people with limited potential. Be proud of what of you have achieved. And I can tell you this - wherever you want to
go in life, you can get there eventually with your Curtin degree, but success does not come without a lot of determination and hard work,
a small element of luck, and a bit of daring to stand out from the crowd.
Therefore, I offer you a challenge; a challenge to do something remarkable, something more than the ordinary with your life. The
Curtin degree you will receive today is just the beginning. By itself, it will not guarantee you success. You have to have a goal, a dream,
and you must be persistent, remain determined with a laser-like focus on what you want. Only then will you attain success.
You are our link to a new generation. You must reassess, re-examine and clarify your priorities and not just be satisfied with the
status quo. Whether you go into research, business, engineering, public service or education, neither you nor society can continue to
survive or prosper simply by implementing what is already known. Somebody is going to have to come up with meaningful new ideas,
creative new approaches and important new discoveries. Why can't that somebody be you
I want to remind you that the worth of any university is measured by the achievements and accomplishments of its graduates and
the loyalty of its alumni. Again, I want to congratulate you on your great accomplishment and offer you my best wishes.
Thank you.
2.
Thank you for your support of our efforts to go green with this and other events!