KUCHING – Students of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus filled up a lecture hall to dialogue with the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, His Excellency Rod Smith, recently.
The stopover by Smith at the university was part of his official three-day visit to Kuching where he made a series of political, business, trade, public diplomacy and alumni related calls.
This was his second trip to Swinburne Sarawak, having first visited the Australian university branch campus in April last year.
Prior to the start of the dialogue, he was welcomed by Professor Janet Gregory, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Swinburne Sarawak, the university’s Board of Directors and University Council represented by Datuk (Dr) Philip Ting, who is also Australian Honorary Consul, and senior officers of the university.
Smith, who had requested to speak with students before visiting the campus, kicked off the session by giving an overview about contemporary Australia, its engagement with Southeast Asian nations and Australia-Malaysia relations, before taking a series of questions on a variety of topics about Australia from the 60-odd foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Malaysian and international students in the audience took the opportunity to ask questions that ranged from financial aid for foreign students to pursue their studies in Australia, to employment opportunities and living in the land Down Under.
His delegation included Daniel Havas, the Senior Trade Commissioner to Malaysia from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), the Australian government’s trade, investment and education promotion agency, and Josie Abdullah, the Senior Business Development Manager from Austrade in Brunei.
The High Commissioner had conducted a similar session with public university students in Sabah to reach out to students on varies topics they wished to learn about Australia.