ExxonMobil PNG’s (EMPNG) donation of 40 new laptops to University of Papua New Guinea's (UPNG) School of Business and Public Policy (SBPP) gave students a welcomed learning boost.
Due to COVID-19, student demand at UPNG for e-learning tools has increased and become a critical part of how courses are delivered remotely. This donation will play an important part in enabling SBPP students to engage with both UPNG and other professors and lecturers.
Dr Lawrence Sause, Deputy Executive Dean on Resources and Planning at SBPP, was especially thankful for EMPNG's support.
“These new laptops help make our information technology lab one of the most modern on campus. The impact of this donation is huge, not only to the ongoing teaching and learning support for economics, business and data analytic students, but as an enabler of computer-based learning courses taught out of the lab, such as the use of statistical software," he said.
SBPP's information technology lab was established in 2018 with support from multiple donors, including EMPNG. The lab has proven to be a great success, with both students and lecturers across the university requesting to use the facility.
Sam Koyama, Public Policy and Issues Manager at EMPNG, said the company is committed to helping students access learning tools they need to complete their studies.
"Our workforce consists of graduates recruited from UPNG and other institutions from across PNG, including the University of Technology in Lae and the Kumul Academy,” he stated.
"Investing in education initiatives like this is a continued priority for ExxonMobil PNG to help drive academic results, as we believe education is the key to economic empowerment.”
In addition to higher education, EMPNG supports efforts to enhance training for primary and secondary education. This includes related physical infrastructure as well as intellectual and professional capacity building of faculty and administrative staff.
(UPNG students from the School of Business & Public Policy using the new laptops)