Swinburne Sarawak academics bag awards for education and research excellence

KUCHING: Three distinguished academics from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus have been honoured with national awards at the recent Private Education Excellence Awards 2024, presented by the Private Education Co-operative of Malaysia (Educoop).

Dr Jeffrey Jee Teck Weng, a senior lecturer from the School of Business; Ir Dr How Bing Shen, a senior lecturer from the School of Engineering and Science; and Associate Professor Dr Fung Chorng Yuan, head of the School of Business, were the proud recipients of these accolades at the ceremony held on Aug 1 at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

Jee received the National Outstanding Young Educator Award, while How won the National Outstanding Young Researcher Award.

Fung competed for the National Outstanding Educator Award (University Category) and was awarded a Certificate of Merit for his outstanding contributions to higher education.

Commenting on these multiple awards, Ir Professor Lau Hieng Ho, pro vice-chancellor and chief executive officer of Swinburne Sarawak, said that the recognition of these three academics is a testament to the university’s commitment to enriching its staff profile, a key focus of Swinburne Sarawak’s 2025 Vision.

“This is not only to improve education and research capability but also to nurture a vibrant, quality academic environment where innovation and excellence can thrive.

“This remarkable achievement underscores our dedication to fostering such an environment within our academic community—enhancing academic standards and contributing meaningfully to talent development,” said Lau.

Jee founded the award-winning Teach-Innovate-Guide-Experience-Execute-Reflect (TIGEE-RO) pedagogy in 2023 and received the highly commendable Teaching Excellence Award from Swinburne Sarawak in the same year.

“I am a staunch advocate of practical, real-world learning, believing that lifelong education is key to bridging the gap between classrooms and industry.

“Winning this prestigious national award further fuels my determination to continuously evolve as an educator, reinforcing my commitment to shaping future-ready graduates,” he said.

Meanwhile, How, an expert in process systems engineering, has significantly contributed to developing circular strategies for various industries.

His outstanding achievements have earned him numerous prestigious recognitions, including the Young Researcher Award at the IChemE Global Awards 2021 and the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ) Award for Outstanding Asian Researcher and Engineer in 2022.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this national award. I will continue to strive and give my best to lead research that helps industries pave the way towards a decarbonised future,” he said.

Fung has been instrumental in shaping the university’s educational landscape, securing numerous research grants related to teaching and learning.

He has championed situated learning practices, believing that learning must occur in context. He won the Swinburne Sarawak Teaching Excellence Award in 2021.

For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website (www.swinburne.edu.my), Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram page (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk), TikTok page (@swinburnesarawak), or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).