[Miri, Sarawak] – Curtin University, in partnership with Nikon School Malaysia and Curtin Consultancy Services, is pleased to be offering a new unit, Travel Writing & Photography from July 2016. This new unit is aimed at both local and international students interested in learning more about photojournalism and the art of travel writing, all while immersed in the adventure, culture and nature of Sarawak.
The unit falls within Curtin’s newly established Flexible Study initiative, a collection of courses from the university’s Foundation and Undergraduate programs that are being offered for the first time as study abroad and intensive format products. In these new iterations, students will follow a condensed series of lectures and seminars at Curtin’s campus, interspersed with field trips throughout Sarawak that augment the course material and allow for practical application of knowledge gained in the classroom.
Travel Writing & Photography is the first of these new units and will teach students how to find, research and write compelling travel pieces, as well as how to take powerful images to accompany their stories. Apart from learning the hard skills and techniques associated with interviewing and photo composition for example, students are also exposed to softer skills like ethical practices in journalism and how to embrace digital platforms to enhance the reach of their writing and photography.
Curtin University’s Dean of Teaching & Learning Dr. Beena Giridharan noted that the partnership with Nikon School adds great value to the course:
“Working with Nikon School is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain exposure to the real world of professional photography. Learning from the guest presenters at Nikon, as well as Curtin’s own journalism academics provides a holistic introduction to the fields of both photojournalism and travel writing. We’re excited about this partnership and about welcoming students to our campus in new ways. We’re particularly enthusiastic about sharing Sarawak’s incredible peoples and wildlife with inbound international students.”
Students wishing to learn more about the Travel Writing and Photography unit, or about the Flexible Study initiative at Curtin, are invited to view the university’s dedicated web page at http://flexiblestudy.curtin.edu.my/.
Curtin Sarawak is the Malaysian branch campus of Curtin University, Western Australia’s largest and most multicultural university, with more than 53,000 students. In 2015 Curtin was ranked among the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide in the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities. The Sarawak campus was established in 1999 and was the very first offshore higher educational institution in East Malaysia. Today Curtin Sarawak is host to 4000 students from over 45 different countries. Times Higher Education (THE) has ranked Curtin equal 10th in its list of the top 100 most international universities in 2014/15.
