Universiti Curtin Malaysia (Malay) | |
 | |
| Motto | Look ever forward[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | February 1999; 27 years ago (1999-02) |
Parent institution | Curtin University |
| Affiliation | Australian Technology Network (ATN) |
| Chancellor | Andrew Crane |
| Vice-Chancellor | Harlene Hayne |
| Pro Vice-Chancellor and President | Simon Leunig[2] |
| Students | 1,937 (2022)[3] |
| Address | CDT 250 ,,,98009 ,4°30′42″N114°01′00″E / 4.5117°N 114.0167°E /4.5117; 114.0167 (Curtin University, Malaysia)  |
| Campus | Urban and parkland, 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres)[4] |
| Colors | Gold Black |
| Nickname | Carnabys[5] |
| Mascot | Carl the Carnaby[5] |
| Website | curtin |
 | |
 | |
Curtin University Malaysia is the Malaysian campus ofCurtin University, apublic university based inAustralia.[6] It is the university's largest campus outside of Australia with a total area of 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) comprising academic and residential blocks.[7] It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various fields ofcommerce,engineering,computational sciences,humanities andhealth sciences.[8][9] It also offersfoundational courses and aDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) among other higher degree by research programs.[9][10][11] It is named afterJohn Curtin, a prominent Prime Minister of Australia duringWorld War II from 1941 to 1945.[12]
Curtin University, which has its main campus based inPerth, is the largest university in the state ofWestern Australia with 58,607 students globally in 2022.[13][14] Students have options to transfer or study abroad to other Curtin campuses inPerth,Kalgoorlie,Singapore,Dubai andMauritius as the same units are studied across its campuses.[15][16] In additional, students from other universities and Curtin campuses can also apply to study abroad at Curtin Malaysia.[15] As of 2022, the campus enrolled 1,937 students.
Under the "One Curtin" model, the campus is operated directly under Curtin University and degrees conferred by Curtin University to Curtin Malaysia students are equivalent to Curtin proper.[17][15] The university follows the same academic calendar as Curtin Australia and uses the same curriculum, study materials and examinations. The university campus is accredited by theMalaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)[7] and tuition rates are significantly lower than of international students studying in its main campus in Perth.[15] The university also conducts research at its Malaysian campus.[18]
In Australia, the university is known for having high employer satisfaction rates.[19][20][21] According to the 2022 Employer Satisfaction Survey published by the Australian Government's QILT, the university received the highest overall employer satisfaction (89.7%) amongall universities in Australia.[22] The university also ranks within the top 200 universities according to theQuacquarelli Symonds andU.S. News university ranking publications,[23][24] while ranking somewhat lower on others.[25][26][27]
Curtin University is the modern descendent of thePerth Technical School, established in 1900, which later became the Western Australia Institute of Technology in 1966.[13] The institution received university status in 1986 to form the Curtin University of Technology, named after paramountWorld War II Prime Minister of AustraliaJohn Curtin.[28] In 2010, it removed the suffix from its name and became simply Curtin University. As of 2022, it is the largest university in the state of Western Australia with 58,607 students enrolled across its domestic and overseas campuses.[29]
TheSarawak State Government invited Curtin University to establish an international campus in Sarawak, with both signing aMemorandum of Understanding in 1998. Professor Kevin McKenna became the inaugural Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive (President) of the newly-formed institution. Curtin Malaysia's operations in Miri commenced in February 1999, with initial study programs in various fields of engineering and commerce, with the campus fully opening by 2002.[7]
On 11 May 2006, a ground breaking ceremony was held at the university for Phase 2 of its campus development and the Proposed Curtin Lake-View Eco-City. This expansion, masterplanned by Teo A. Khing Design Consultants (TAK) and supported by the Sarawak Government, Imasa Dinasti Sdn Bhd and the TAK Group of Companies, was part of a broader Greater Curtin Sarawak Development.[30] Phase 2 of Curtin University Malaysia included the construction of new academic buildings and student facilities.
The university campus has students from more than 50 countries and teaching staff from more than 15 countries.[17] Besides being the firstoffshore campus of Curtin University, it is also the first offshore campus by any overseas university set up inEast Malaysia.[31]
The courses offered by the Malaysia campus follows the identical structure and curriculum content as those offered at the mainBentley campus inPerth. During their course of studies, students have the discretion to study abroad or transfer to other Curtin campuses in Perth, Kalgoorlie, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius to gain further international exposure and widen their perspectives.[15] Curtin Malaysia also offers a range of university pathway programs alongside its undergraduate and postgraduate programs.[10][11] Courses at Curtin Malaysia are currently provided by the following Curtin schools:
The Curtin Malaysia Student Council is the main student body managing social events and clubs on the campus.[32]
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World[33] | 201-300 (2024) |
| CWTS World[34] | 280[a] (2024) |
| QS World[35] | 174 (2025) |
| QS Employability[36] | 201-250 (2022) |
| THE World[37] | 251-300 (2025) |
| USNWR Global[38] | 164 (24/25) |
Curtin University is aWestern Australian university and perception of the university may differ across the different countries where it has campuses. In the 2024Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities, which measures aggregate performance across the QS, THE and ARWU rankings, the university attained a position of #191 (11th nationally).[39]
In the 2025Quacquarelli SymondsWorld University Rankings (published 2024), the university attained a position of #174.[40]
In theTimes Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 (published 2024), the university attained a position of #251-300.[41]
In the 2024Academic Ranking of World Universities, the university attained a position of #201-300.[42]
In the 2024–2025U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities, the university attained a position of #164.[43]
In theCWTS Leiden Ranking 2024,[a] the university attained a position of #280.[44]
Media related toCurtin University, Malaysia at Wikimedia Commons
