08 November 2013

Supporting quality higher education in Papua New Guinea
 

Papua New Guinea’s universities are a step closer to establishing twinning arrangements with Australian universities after a workshop in Port Moresby.

Senior university officials discussed how the arrangements can improve education quality, and received an Australian toolkit on twinning today.

Twinning arrangements are partnerships between institutions that have common values, with the aim of delivering benefits to each that raise the quality of education.

The arrangements can build capacity in areas including IT systems, governance, research, international program accreditation, student services and teaching.

The PNG Office of Higher Education (OHE) and the University of Papua New Guinea developed the workshop with the support of Australia’s aid program.

Australia’s High Commission to Papua New Guinea, Ms Deborah Stokes, said Australia welcomes PNG’s commitment to improve university quality.

“Australia is committed to a strong relationship with PNG and links between our universities are a vital part of this relationship,” Ms Stokes said.

“Universities shape development and bring sustained benefits to PNG through the pursuit of knowledge and the education.

“The quality of universities is critical to this mission.”

Ms Stokes encouraged twinning that contributes to PNG’s efforts to improve institutional quality and build links benefiting both institutions.

The 2010 PNG Universities Review identified twinning as a means to improve university quality. The OHE leads on improving the quality of the higher education sector with Australia’s support.

OHE Director General, Professor David Kavanamur, reaffirmed the PNG Government’s commitment to making a quality higher education accessible to Papua New Guineans.
“Twinning is about the exchange of people, resource commitments and intense communication between partners,” Profession Kavanamur said.

“We are discussing how to achieve clear objectives and mutual benefit between both parties.”

“Twinning can achieve improved quality and internationalising local universities making them globally oriented. We want to expose them to the best in the world.”

A joint twinning workshop with Australian universities is planned for next year.

Twinning is one part of Australia’s support for education quality and is a commitment in the Joint Understanding between Australia and PNG on further bilateral cooperation on Health, Education and Law and Order.

Under the Joint Understanding, Australia is contributing to the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure at the University of Papua New Guinea.