KUCHING – A total of 137 top students of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus were in jubilation after they were recently awarded scholarships for their outstanding academic achievements.
The high achievers were presented with the scholarship awards by Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Swinburne Sarawak, at a ceremony in campus.
The recipients comprised Malaysians and included students from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
Among them was Sibu-born Ngu Shinn Shyan who said she was “very happy and excited” for being awarded a scholarship.
“My parents are also thrilled and encouraged me to do well each semester,” said the former Catholic High School student who started her studies at Swinburne Sarawak in March this year.
Awarded the scholarship for achieving 9As in her UEC exam last year, Ngu said she was adjusting to university life and the new environment.
“I am of course thankful to the university for the award because it will help to reduce my tuition fees. I will certainly try to get more (scholarships) in future,” said Ngu.
Sharing Ngu’s gratitude and elation was former SMK DPHA Gapor student Jane Ang Wee Ying who said she was “actually quite surprised” to find out that she was among the list of recipients.
“I’ll like to say thanks to Swinburne (Sarawak) and especially to my parents for getting me into Swinburne,” said Ang who started her foundation in business program in March this year.
Ang, whose father is a pensioner, said the financial aid will certainly help and that it has inspired her to do even better in her studies adding that she dreams of pursuing a master’s degree one day.
Equally pleased and appreciative is Indonesian student Natalius Tan. “It’s not easy to get the scholarship because Swinburne (Sarawak) has a very high standard. That’s why I’m grateful to be one of the recipients and grateful for the scholarship,” said the second year engineering student.
This is the second time the robotics and mechatronics major student has been awarded a scholarship. He obtained two high distinctions and two distinctions in his semester exam.
“I aim for the scholarship awards each semester and what helps are the tests prior to exams. Depending on the results of these tests, I can assess how much work I have to do in order to achieve my goal which is getting another scholarship award,” said Tan.
Like Ang, Tan also hopes to continue his postgraduate studies at Swinburne Sarawak.
Present to witness the ceremony were the parents of the recipients, school representatives and heads of the various schools and departments of Swinburne Sarawak.
Swinburne Sarawak awards scholarships twice annually. There are three categories of scholarships name: Entrance for newly-enrolled students who do well in public exams; Leadership for newly-enrolled students who do well in public exams and who were also actively involved in extra-curricular activities; and Merit for students who do well in the university’s foundation, diploma and undergraduate courses each semester.