Divine Word University

There are exciting times ahead for first-year students as they enter into the various tertiary institutions.

The Divine Word University is no exception as they launched the commencement of the 2024 academic year this week, after days of the registration and orientation period. It was also a time when they welcomed new students into the campus with warmth and reassurance of the long-standing slogan of “Home away from Home”.

They were crowned on Saturday night at the Madang Resort Hotel. The event proceeded from Friday’s Mr and Miss Traditional which took place at Sugeng Aben.

The event, themed “Service above Self to Drive Tourism in Madang” saw business houses within Madang converging in to support the event.

The event also gave a moment’s silence in tribute to two important icons of Madang Province in Sir Peter Barter and Maureen Hill who were always the pushed for these charitable events in Madang Province.

This was signed between the East Sepik Provincial Health Authority and the Catholic Diocese of Wewak on July 11^th 2023.

This significant partnership will see the placement of the university’s Nursing Students at the newly built Wewak Provincial Hospital and other health facilities managed by the East Sepik Provincial Health Authority (ESPHA) and the Catholic Health facilities run by the Catholic Diocese of Wewak (CDW).

They are pioneers of the Bachelor of Primary Education upgrade program that was set up under a partnership between Newcrest’s School to Mine Campus and the Divine Word University Faculty of Education.

Despite having fulltime teaching jobs, the teachers were able to complete the program successfully though a flexible learning arrangement, between April 2021 and September 2022.

Faculty Head Kelaki Peter in congratulating the teachers, foresees a great future and potential for the teachers on the island through this program.

The outreach program improves training in clinical and public health arenas, by exposing medical students to hands-on patient experience. For community health promotion projects in rural settings and also showing them opportunity for future carrier pathways, explained Professor Jerry Kuzma.

DWU President Prof. Fr. Philip Gibbs informed students who were under TESAS in Semester 2 of 2022, to settle the outstanding fees before they enroll for the 2023 academic year.

“We regret to inform you that you must ensure your required outstanding fees are paid before you arrive to register. If you come and your fees from 2022 are not paid in full, we will not be able to register you.

“We ask that you pay attention to the dates for registration and adhere as these dates will not be extended,” he added.

The research seeks to find out reasons Papua New Guineans are not adhering to the Government’s strategy for COVID-19.

PNG Science and Technology Secretariat and Divine Word University recently signed an agreement where a cheque of K100,000 was presented to the University.

PNG STS Acting CEO, Dr Kulalang Mulung, said the department’s support towards research into COVID -19 in the country was to identify reasons why some Papua New Guineans are not adhering to the Government’s strategy for COVID-19.

The launching of the academic year was also followed by the 43rd anniversary of the foundation of Divine Word Institute and 28 anniversary of Divine Word University.

University President Professor Fr. Philip Gibbs said the university has been recognized through the many years of promoting knowledge and transformation for everyone in Papua New Guinea.

The launch began with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist mass at the University chapel then continued to the SVD Memorial Auditorium for the official launching program.

Male and female dormitories for the former Institute were inherited from the high school. Later, the SVD brothers built permanent dormitories and some of those structures are still being used in the male and female dorms today.

On Thursday, 3^rd of February the University was proud to open a 73-bed dormitory for the male students, funded under the Government’s Public Investment Program.

DWU President, Professor Fr. Philip Gibbs said construction began in 2021 with the aim to complete the construction before the 2022 academic year begins.

The Medical Registration Act was enacted in Parliament in 1980, which used to regulate and register all different cadres of health professionals in the country.

The law sets out the requirements of health professional registration and the standard under which they are to practice.