The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) plans to run a master program on Renewable Energy Management under the School of Natural and Physical Sciences.
The Master of Science in Renewable Energy Management (MScREM) program is created under the European Platform for Intelligent Cities' (EPIC) project which is funded by European Union.
EPIC, Renewable energy in Pacific islands: Developing Skills and Capacity, was born to react to the current challenges and immediate needs to the renewable energy (RE) development in the Pacific.
The initiative has been drawn from the low energy access rate, urgent need of alternative energy supply, and the vulnerability to the impact of climate change in the region.
The three year project, which ends next month, is aimed to create the master program and a renewable energy centre.
The MScREM program is a two year program that offers eight courses covering science technology and engineering fields.
The program serves as a base to equip the new scientists, as well as academic staff, with up-to-date knowledge which is highly in demand in PNG.
It is open to participants who are already in the energy sector and who already have a first degree in renewable energy management.
Program coordinator and Physics lecturer at UPNG, Manu Rawali said this program is basically to build their capacity in this area and consists of four tutorial courses and four practical courses.
Rawali said the practical courses are basically snippets from doing a pre-feasibility study of a renewable energy project to the de-commissioning of a project.
He said the program covers the areas of a renewable energy project including technology, resources, policy, economics of it and the environment impacts.
Rawali added that the program will enroll 20 participants every year but because it’s in the early stages, for now they’re looking at 10 students to be manageable.