Oro supports East Papua University establishment

Caption: (L) Higher Education, Research Science and Technology Minister Malakai Tabar shakes to the commitment of Oro Governor Gary Juffa. 

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, February 22, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

IN the governments bid to boost the number of tertiary institutions in the country in partnership with existing institutions in targeted provinces, the provincial government of Oro has confirmed its support in the initial phase of the establishment of the East Papuan University in the province.

Speaking at a media conference that included Governor for Oro Gary Juffa and the Minister for Higher Education Research Science and Technology Malakai Tabar- the ministerial working committee explained that a total of six projects identified by the government under the NEC decision number 220 of 2014, which sets out to establish 6 regional institutes and modernize two other that have been operating for some time.

One being the current Oro campus of the University of Natural Resources and Environment, the Sepik Agriculture College and four others.

Governor for Oro Gary Juffa, while confirming the commitment of his government thanked the Minister Tabar for progressing the matter through the national government taking steps to make the project a reality.

“We have decided to fund the first phase, we will be having a PEC (Provincial Executive Council) meeting and the decision to fund this phase will be made during that meeting whereby a team will be funded made up of educationalists from the province to work with a team established by the Minister for Higher Education in how we can transit the process and how we can establish the University of Eastern Papua,” Governor Juffa said.

“I would like to invite my fellow governors from the Papuan Region to help me develop this university, that will be primarily a university that will be focused on agriculture but will also look a various subjects that we want to also develop a curriculum around to also start looking at developing young managers, young leaders from the university to cater for the demands for the Papuan Region.”

“Education is the greatest investment that leaders can make- it has long term positive effects, it will progress development, and also move our nation forward.”

Minister Tabar explained the role of the department of Higher Education, Research Science and Technology was to make sure that a cordial relationship with the provincial governments on the ground existed to effectively establish government’s decisions.

“It is a short term thing, it is not going to be a case where we will demand from either the Oro or other provincial government, but we would like to make sure as we touch base with the environment and the people there we would like to make sure that leadership and confidence is established,” Minister Tabar said.

“This decision from the NEC is for me to lead a team to make sure that we can implement to carry out this, where we will establish a council for the Oro Eastern Papua University.”

“We would like to make sure the administrative the academic and effectively the council is in place to manage and look after that institution that will primarily look at agriculture as a primary sector of existence and sustenance, and will also have secondary and tertiary studies also.”

He added that the institution was not only an institution for East Papua but basically for Papua New Guinea as a whole.

With initial funding already in place, they said that it was expected that by 2018 or 2019, the first lot of students will enroll when all initial requirements have been met and developed.