Western Pacific University (WPU)

Defending champions, the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) Pythons, will be defending their title this year, after winning the cup in a fiery grand final match against the University of Technology (Unitech) Spartans in Port Moresby, in 2021.

UPNG has assembled three teams; two from the main campus including defending champions, the UPNG Pythons. The Third UPNG Team is Medfac from the School of Medicine, Taurama campus.

While it is a government institution requiring government funding support, it has sourced funding partnership from the Chinese government to build much needed basic infrastructure to make it viable for the core function to proceed, that is teaching and learning.

“The government of China has also provided, has built for us six staff houses, three bedroom, our staff houses, one lecture block and three male dormitories which were opened early, which were handed over to Western Pacific University in January this year and received by the Minister for Higher Education, Don Polye.

This was possible under WSP’s partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast.

This workshop was specifically designed for Western Pacific University’s newly graduated academic staff. Six academic staff members of WPU have been undergoing a training for competency in the Foundation of University Teaching Course by the University of Sunshine Coast since September last year.

Additional staff members who had developed units for delivery in the 2022 academic year also attended the workshop.

This is part of their School and Public Engagement Campaign (SPEC) activities for 2022.

The online event will be a great opportunity for participants to learn about the academic programs offered at WPU for the 2023 academic year. Participants will include principals of secondary schools, provincial education guidance officers and interested non-school leavers who are looking to pursue studies at WPU.

WPU held celebrations on Friday the 3rd of June and commenced with a panel discussion on the topic ‘Why does environmental sustainability matter for a new university like WPU?’

The panel was made up of academic, project and administration staff as well as first and second year students.

It was well represented with all factions that made up the WPU community and saw each panelist give one recommendation on what he or she thought would be an effective way for WPU to ensure that it contributed to being environmentally friendly.

The university will be built in Ialibu, Southern Highlands Province, on 75 hectares of land.

WPU project chairperson Fr Jan Czuba confirmed that they have negotiated with the landowners to acquire the 75 hectares of land.

19 hectares of land was secured last year from land owners of Ialibu at the cost of K15 million.

Last year, the Pekai-Aluwe tribe, landowners of Topopugl village of Ialibu, were paid K7.5 million, signifying the approval to use their land to build the university.