KUCHING – A group of 30 entrepreneurship students from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, led by Dr Gabriel Wee Wei En, Head of the Department of Executive and Entrepreneurship at Swinburne Sarawak, and lecturer Dr Irving Ting Shou Hui, visited the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) on 21 May 2025 as part of their real-world learning initiative.
SBC is a premier research and development agency under the Sarawak government, dedicated to the documentation, conservation, and sustainable utilisation of the state’s rich biodiversity. Through community engagement and applied research, SBC works closely with indigenous communities to document traditional knowledge and transform local plant resources into innovative, value-added products under the brands LitSara and NatureSara.
During the visit, students learned how SBC combines scientific innovation with traditional wisdom, leading to the ethical commercialisation of natural products and the empowerment of rural communities.
The students explore SBC’s commercial product line made from indigenous plants and traditional knowledge – a tangible outcome of science-meets-culture innovation.
This semester, the students are engaged in a cross-border entrepreneurship project in collaboration with Zhejiang Yuexiu University, China. As part of this initiative, they are conducting market validation for student-led startup prototypes and have co-established an online marketplace to facilitate cross-border e-commerce.
Dr Gabriel Wee (second right) with the Zhejiang Yuexiu University student startup team, showcasing their prototype products for international market validation in collaboration with Swinburne Sarawak students.
Looking ahead, and with the launch of the Entrepreneurship Hub at Swinburne Sarawak next semester, Dr Wee shared the faculty’s aspiration to expand the collaboration – supporting SBC by conducting international market validation for LitSara and NatureSara products, while also exploring the co-development of a global marketplace for these unique Sarawakian innovations.
“Entrepreneurship education at Swinburne Sarawak is built around real industry challenges. Our projects are not only commercially viable but also socially meaningful and student-centric,” said Dr Wee.
This initiative reflects Swinburne Sarawak’s commitment to entrepreneurial education grounded in industry, impact, and innovation.
Swinburne Sarawak entrepreneurship students attend a hybrid session on building international marketplaces with Zhejiang Yuexiu University student startups, part of their semester-long cross-border entrepreneurship project under Dr Gabriel Wee.
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