Rate My Professor Terry Justin Dit

Terry Justin Dit serves as a Lecturer and Interim Head of the Department of Media and Communication in the Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences at Curtin University Malaysia. He also holds the position of Head of Media and Communications within the faculty's research and development. Dit earned his Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Waikato between 1995 and 1998. His earlier academic work includes a thesis on British Counter-insurgency Operations in Malaya completed in 2003. Growing up immersed in a culture abundant with oral traditions, folk tales, myths, and ancestral stories, Dit brings this rich heritage into his teaching. He instructs courses such as Borneo Studies and Media, emphasizing storytelling to preserve cultural history and spark curiosity among students about their heritage.

Dit specializes in research areas including Borneo and Sarawak history, military history, World War II events in Miri, indigenous studies, and cultural preservation through memorials and oral histories. He is recognized as a research supervisor in the History discipline at Curtin University. Key publications include "Remembering the Past, Building the Future: Miri’s WWII Memorial and the Resilience of the Human Spirit" (2025), which examines the role of memorials in honoring sacrifices during the Japanese occupation and promoting community resilience; "The Cradle of Sarawak's Oil Industry and the Canadian 'Foreign Drillers'", on early oil exploration; "Rust and Remembrance", exploring preservation of historical sites; and "Exploring the Regenerative Potential for Community-Based Tourism" (2024). Earlier works encompass "The Importance of Preserving Memories: A Story of a Long Apu Family's Pesaka Beads" (2010), "Sarawak Kayan Culture: Traditional Kayan Wedding - Pelah Hawa" (2009), and contributions to "People of the Forest: Sarawak Penan Culture" (2009). Additionally, Dit has documented the exploits of Sarawakian guerrillas in Z Special Unit (2011). His insight articles for Curtin Malaysia further disseminate knowledge on local history, contributing to public engagement with Sarawak's past.