KUCHING – Five academics at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus were recently promoted to senior positions.
The new positions will take effect in January next year.
Senior lecturers Dr Patrick Then and Dr Su Hieng Tiong have been elevated to the post of Associate Professors. Both are with the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science (FECS).
Three other academic staff were promoted from lecturer to senior lecturer. They are Christina Yin and Dr Khin Khin Aye from the Faculty of Language and Communication, and Dr Kho Yau Hee from the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science.
“The promotions to Associate Professor are decided by a professorial committee in Swinburne Melbourne. Our two successful candidates this year are the first Swinburne Sarawak staff to be internally promoted to a professorial level, as opposed to being appointed to one of the professorial levels,” said Professor Ken Heskin, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Swinburne Sarawak.
“This is a historic occasion and also symbolic of Swinburne Sarawak’s ‘coming of age.'”
“It is terrific to see some of our own Swinburne Sarawak staff recognised for their academic achievements in this way by our Swinburne Melbourne colleagues. I think that reflects very well on the progress that Swinburne Sarawak has made over the years as a university campus and I think that all members of staff can take pride in the organisational recognition that these promotions signify,” Heskin said.
Then earned his PhD from Universiti Sarawak Malaysia. He is the Associate Dean (Computing) for FECS, and has strong collaborative links with industry and has successfully bid for national competitive funding.
He has conducted research through funds won from sponsors such as Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and contributes a high level of innovation into his teaching by mentoring and exposing students to the real world of IT industry.
Then also supervises Masters and PhD students.
Su, who has been with Swinburne Sarawak since 2006, received his doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2001. He was a post-doctoral researcher in Birmingham prior to joining Swinburne Sarawak.
He teaches electro-magnetic waves, electronic systems and integrated circuit design. His current research interests include the design of radio frequency and microwave passive devices, such as novel compact multimode resonators and filters for both narrow and wideband applications, and tunable filters achieved using ferroelectric materials and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems switches.
Swinburne Sarawak is the only international branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.