KUCHING: Swinburne Sarawak has defended its teaching capacity after enrolment surged 44 per cent, driven by 2,100 new students under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES).
According to a statement, the university said its total student population grew from 3,749 in 2024 to 4,504 in 2025, and to 6,484 in 2026, with the new FTES intake spread across 22 approved programmes.
The university said this growth had been anticipated as part of its capacity planning, adding that about 1,000 students are expected to graduate in 2026.
Addressing concerns over class sizes, the university clarified that programme-level enrolment figures do not reflect the number of students taught together in a single class, noting that larger cohorts are managed through multiple lecture and tutorial groups.
It also defended its blended learning model, which combines face-to-face and online instruction, stating that the approach has been in place since 2022 and predates FTES.
On facilities, the university reassured that a RM50 million campus upgrade which was completed in 2024, has added a library expansion, Student Hub, Food Hall, and Borneo Atrium, alongside newer additions such as a Digital Design Hub and expanded computing laboratories.
Swinburne University remains committed to working with stakeholders as it continues to scale up academic capacity and student support services to match enrolment growth.
