2 weeks Ago By Post-Courier Contributor
By VELERIE BULUMARIS THE PNG University of Technology is planning to accredit all programs starting this year through a five-year strategic plan 2025-2029. The plan has set four main focuses to expand on including its commitment to achieve academic excellent, further its research, innovation and development, Growing partners with the businesses, private and government industries and becoming financially stable to be able to sustain its core functions and further growth. The university’s academic excellent plan underlined its focus to accredit the non-engineering programs in order to meet the international benchmark for all its graduating students.
Programs of agriculture, architecture and construction management are time-bound to start benchmarking this year following the process carried out to accredit the engineering programs (in 2024). Its recent accreditation of all five engineering programs has set path forward for Unitech to graduate internationally standard elites to be competent and be able to poses jobs overseas. The strategic plan also highlighted its aim to establish key research funding and implementation to fill the gap country has with data and research in its faculties.
According to University of Technology’s Chancellor Sam Koim, data collection and raw information statistics is a missing piece in PNG, including the university’s administrations. The university is attempting to bridge that gap with its mathematics statistics and computer science programs, “merging what we have will help produce data to leverage gap,” Mr Koim said. He said the challenge remains in administrations to used its stored data and logically leverages and distribute them accordingly so that further research can be carried out using updated data.
However, given the challenges posed in the research area, update data is needed in all specialties from natural science, technology, mathematics and also the government entities. The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Ora Renagi said university’s short-term plan wants to enhance research industry and provide effective specialists in that area to fill the gap. “Once again PNGUoT has identified the need this county lacks, and is working towards achieving it to contribute to growth like it has been doing for the last 50-plus years,” Prof Renagi said.
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