Western Pacific University on target to open doors in 2017

PETER S KINJAP

PNG'S FIFTH state-owned university and the seventh university in the country, the Western Pacific University has acquired a campus of more than 19 hectares from Ialibu landowners in the Southern Highlands at a cost of K15-million.

The landowners had demanded the government pay them K24-million but settled for the lower amount.

The land is now being developed to establish the administration block, students accommodations and other buildings.

Former Divine Word University president Professor Jan Czuba (pictured at left with construction workers), who has been appointed to head the new university, said the first phase of construction will cost the government about K42 million.

Prof Czuba said construction is underway and work should be completed by the end of this year to enable classes to start in 2017.

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia is providing the management of the technological university which is aiming to enrol 6,000 students from PNG and the Pacific.

Western Pacific University aims to address PNG’s chronic higher education access problem.

Comments

[Arnold Mundua]

The ideal site for the university proposed earlier was Kondiu in Simbu where land was freely made available by the Catholic Church.

Now after spending millions of kina in land compensation, the government will now spend another many millions of kina for construction. Good spending there! Not.

[Bomai D Witne]

Daniel, most state universities were built in the 1960s and I concur with you on the need to build new universities to cater for the growing population. However, such project must be based on sound research, taking into account the current state of affairs in this country and options available to deliver the same outcome with minimum cost to tax payers.

[Paul Waugla Wii]

A Papua New Guinean medical doctor, who just returned from post graduate studies in Australia, said that there is no future for scientists let alone medical doctors in PNG. Can someone out there provide some insight on the present state of affairs within the universities in PNG especially regarding research and the harnessing of new knowledge in the field of science is concerned?

[Daniel Kumbon]

Bomai, yes indeed our current tertiary institutions are run down and need millions of kina for renovation and expansion of academic programs.

But in the long-run with the population growing rapidly, wouldn't the Western Pacific University prove to be an asset in the highlands region where a third of PNG's population is concentrated?

[Bomai D Witne]

Can the government distribute K57m (K15m + K47m) to existing universities to expand infrastructure and academic programs?

Of all people, Fr Jan should provide better options to the government on how taxpayers' money can be used. Building a new university should not be the only option.