Setting merit – based higher education is one of the major goals set in both 1997 Declaration about higher education in Asia and Pacific and the Declaration of the 1998 World Conference on Higher Education. Many countries in the region have seen impressive increases in student enrolment rate.
In PNG enrolment has remained stagnant at 2% of the estimated 600,000 of the college age population of 17-24 year and the impact is weaker still at peri-urban and the district levels. The weak linkage at the district level is manifested in the shortage of appropriately trained skilled human resource needed for PNG’s industrialization objectives. This concern is receiving new prominence with the current emphasis on curriculum realignment to advance government’s need to intensify service delivery and foster impact projects such as the 30 year Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, the main access roads to open up the hinterland for economic development, that is the Highway from the north to the southern region. Similarly, the pressure for restructuring and reforming higher education is derived from growing expectations and demands of the government’s vision of income take off for all by 2050. Apart from improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public services, institutions of higher education are confronted with a situation in which the principles of financial accountability and responsiveness to stakeholders prevail amidst the massification stage.
In response to pressing demand for change, a robust higher education and district linkages is popular in higher education delivery is inevitable. Reform strategies and measures include curriculum reform and realignment; expanding research and community service through innovation. This report outlines the reform programs being undertaken especially articulation with the 89 districts.
Focus on 89 Districts
The focal points of developing Papua New Guinea are the 18 provinces, the National Capital District and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Major development projects are located in the 89 districts and the 10, 000 Local Level Government areas.
- Central
- Chumbu (Simbu)
- Eastern Highlands
- East New Britain
- East Sepik
- Enga
- Gulf
- Madang
- Manus
- Milne Bay
- Morobe
- New Ireland
- Northern (Oro)
- Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARB)
- Southern Highlands
- Western Province (Fly)
- Western Highlands
- West New Britain
- West Sepik (Sandaun)
- National Capital District (NCD)
Technological & Economic Development
There is unequivocal recognition that Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) that carry out research, teaching and knowledge transfer and that there is an equally important economic mission for them to focus on professional teaching, user-driven research, and problem solving. Thus government is promoting service class higher education system to be backed by a significant system of IHE rating, increase in funds for innovation and service be become a permanent stream of funding to sustain its reforms.
Thus the focus on the districts signifies the important role of higher education as part of the whole of government service delivery system beyond 2014. By working with district authorities, the IHE are adding value to this policy for the districts to access higher education expertise and for IHE to learn from the local level governments and benefit from synergies accruing from the impact projects such the Liquefied Natural Gas, mining projects, hydroelectricity from the nations hydrocarbon reserves, country link road system, agriculture, biodiversity, other capital investments and donor agencies operating in the 89 districts.
District service is critical because undergraduate and graduate students who are benefiting from the Tertiary Education, Student Assistance Scheme (TESAS) the government scholarship will be put into direct involvement with district authorities and private companies in infrastructure and social activities in the 89 districts. The program involves participation in skills and management and leadership of female entrepreneurial activities and professional services.
District service is contributing to border development through information exchange system– a partnership with the IHE that drives innovation, research and business competitiveness within small-to-medium-sized companies in manufacturing industries in the international border areas.
In terms of human resource development we are focused on national academic programmes that are directly linked to the national technological and economic development priorities to the year 2030. Higher education will add value to the quality of our infrastructure and workmanship and output and living health life style and national psyche for hard work and creativity. Development priorities include infrastructure, maintenance and development; mining & petroleum; manufacturing and trade; banking services; service industry to 89 districts; research and development and development of quality workforce in science and engineering, agriculture, sociology and anthropology and Teacher preparation and certification.
Natural resources agriculture, fishery, timber, medicinal drug, biology, climatic conditions are our key fields of attention.
The national scholarship scheme the TESAS, required beneficiaries to provide return service at the end of each year in the district of their upbringing and provide a report to government the following year. Industrial experience and graduate placement programme are being negotiated with the office of rural development and the 20 provincial governments to place students with district authorities and private companies in the 89 districts.
Beyond 2010
By 2010 we would have integrated the labor market assessment with National Human Resource Assessment 2010-2020 and we would have inaugurated the consortium for Science & Technology to Plan & Monitor research development including evaluation of technology transfer and social impact of same on society. By 2009 we will be focus our human development on (1) substantive knowledge for problem solving example Education for Development Professionals and (2) Management and Leadership Skills for Implementation.
- In Education for Development Professionals the following are targeted Agriculture; Engineering; Economics; Environmental climate science; Health sciences; Politics, anthropology and social studies and Statistics.
- For management and leadership skills for implementation the following are targeted Communication and negotiation; human resource management; financial management; monitoring and evaluation; project design and management and strategic determination skills.
Conclusion
We have outlined the higher education the readiness to innovate and service the 89 districts. We said that the IHEs are equal peers in PNG’s service delivery and the large role higher education plays within society makes this summary the minimal obligation for higher education. The focus to the 89 districts is being undertaken in the name of transforming the country through higher education. Our motto is Expanding the Frontier of Higher Education Service.
Infrastructure means offering up roads and bridges across rivers for people to other travel other communities
Rural people will travel to commercial centres, market goods and buy manufactured goods due to the development of communication and transport. Big progress will be made in the development of the communication and transport sector. To augment present focus on infrastructure, selective highways must be built to develop industrial zones into the districts
to tap the resources in the provinces such as road from the oil and gas fields built for the development of industrial centres in strategic locations. The road network from the PNG Indonesia border to Milne Bay will open up the New Guinea mainland to promote technological, economic and social change.
