Chia Ing Chuk

Course: Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours), 2011
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Innovation Project Manager (Oils & Derivatives), Desmet

Please tell us about your role in your current organisation.

To lead the standardisation and guide technology developments of the refining technology across the group.

Why did you choose to study Chemical Engineering?

Chemical engineering covers a wide range of industries, including oil & gas, food, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals etc. In other words, chemical engineering plays a big role in most (if not all) of the products, services and commodities that exist in our daily lives. In other words, chemical engineers are responsible for improving our lifestyle and a driving force to the market behind it.

How have your studies at Monash University Malaysia helped to prepare you for the working world?

The engineering course in Monash not only covers the theory but is also aimed at enabling the students to apply the theory in problem-solving. The university also maintains an active relationship with engineering professionals in the industry and has an industrial advisory panel to ensure the course structure offered stays relevant to the current industrial needs.

Did you go for any internships or work placements? If so, where and did the experience help you in terms of career preparation?

I was an industrial trainee at KL–Kepong Oleomas (M) Sdn Bhd. The industrial experience I gained during the internship provided me with extensive insights into real-world engineering and helped prepare me when I eventually joined the workforce.

What did you enjoy most about your student life at Monash?

I loved the flexibility, where I had options to select the lecture and tutorial time slots and eventually come up with a weekly schedule that worked best for me. There were also ample learning resources, such as recorded lectures, that were very helpful in revisiting certain topics of the lecture that I could not follow very well.

What is your biggest career goal, or what is the difference you’d like to make?

We have come a long way in telephony, from landline telephones to the smartphone era today, and it will not stop here. Human civilization has always been about progressing forward. There are goals that can or cannot be achieved in a lifetime. Engineering has always been about picking up where our predecessors left off and making progress from there on. The baton must eventually be passed on to the successors. As such, one of the biggest social responsibilities of an engineer is to groom and inspire future young minds to carry on the work.