uog bulletin issue 2 (march-april, 2016)

Issue. 2 UOG Bulletin

Pg2 | UOG expands to the Pacific Pg4 | New Housing for staff on campus Pg10 | UOG offers lifeline to ex-convict

News and Information from The University of GorokaBULLETINUOG Issue 22016 March - April

Cover Pic: Guest of Honor Dr. GLynn Galo - Solomon Islands National University Vice-Chancellor - presenting Mr. Hugo Pado Hebala his paper during the Pacific Open Campus graduation in Honiara. Story on Pg 2.

Eyes on Pacific

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UOG Bulletin Issue. 2

Pacific expansionThe University of Goroka graduated over 900 students during its recent 19th Graduation Ceremony.

The main highlight was UOG’s Insti-tute of Distance and Flexible Learning (IDFL) graduation ceremonies held at its various campuses coinciding with the 19th graduation.

The campuses are Highlands Region-

al Open Campus (Mt Hagen), Pacific Open Campus (Honiara, Solomon Islands) and the West New Britain Open Campus.

From the 956 students, 776 graduat-ed from the main campus (Goroka) and 180 graduated from UOG’s Institute of Flexible and Learning centres (High-lands Regional Open Campus - 48,

The University of Goroka’s distance learning benefiting teachers, helpful

Papua New Guinea’s High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands His Excellency Fred Yakasa (left) and The University of Goroka’s Chancellor Mr. Joseph SUkwianomb (right) with dignitaries at the second Pacific Open Campus graduation held at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

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Pacific Open Campus -18 and West New Britain -114).

In Mt Hagen on April 28, UOG’s High-lands Regional Open Campus graduat-ed its first 48 students with Bachelors in School Management. These pioneering students, who were enrolled when this distance mode of learning was estab-lished in 2014, were teachers teaching in Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, Hela and Enga.

In West New Britain, 114 students graduated with Diploma in Early Child-hood.

Across the Solomon Sea and beyond the Pacific Ocean, UOG’s Pacific Open Campus (POC) held is second Gradua-tion Ceremony at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel in Honiara, Solomon Islands on May 5.

This POC graduation was a significant ceremony as it marked UOG’s mission of expanding into the Pacific and also complimenting the Papua New Guinea Government’s vision of cross-border education.

The University of Goroka’s interim Council Chancellor Mr. Joseph Sukwi-anomb was on hand to reiterate UOG’s Pacific expansion mission in alignment with the PNG Governments assistance to the Solomon Islands in terms of Education.

Mr. Sukwianomb said the relationship to education and human capital devel-opment between these two Melanesian countries dates back two decades ago.

“The relationship to education and human capital development dates back to 18-20 years. Many colleagues benefited from Law and the School of Medicine,” Mr. Sukwianomb.

“The Attorney General of Solomon Islands is a product of the University of Papua New Guinea. He graduated with a Law degree when I was the Vice-Chancellor at UPNG.

“It is not a mistake this morning for us to witness the second graduation of this nature to bring back those memo-ries but also to break new grounds to connect the people of this two counties and also Melanesia and the Pacific.”

TRAINING PACIFIC LEADERSMr. Sukwianomb said there was a need to train Pacific Leaders to carry on the legacy and traditions of the Pacific Islanders.

“It’s important to note that this occasion reminds us on the need to train Pacific leaders. Very important that these leaders work together.

“The leaders that were trained during

my age have to move on. Few of us remain. But we need to look at ways to train Papua New Guineans, Solomon Is-landers, Melanesians, Micronesians and Polynesians to challenge the develop-ment challenges that face us as nations and the region as well.

“The University of Goroka in 2014 have taken the biggest challenge, past the shores of Papua New Guinea, to reach the Solomon Islands.

“Here we witness the second gradua-tion since the establishment of the UOG POC in Honiara, which to us is a step-ping stone to reaching out to the other Pacific Island counties.

“The challenge for us as the univer-sity is to produce products that would be worthy to those countries. Today we witness an event of significance to yourself as graduates and us the administrators and leaders who make up this country we call Melanesia and the Pacific.

“You may have heard stories of what happened last year. The University Of Goroka began to wonder whether we would have graduates with the respec-tive degrees we were working for in the last two or three years.

“I’ve come here to bear witness, that as a country and as an institution, we

have rescued The University Of Goroka from falling or from going down the drain. I stand here before you as the Chancellor of The University Of Goroka, the Chancellor of the interim Univer-sity Council, that we were able to put together our resources and our minds to rescue the second half of the 2015 academic year.

“We did what we had to do admin-istratively to continue for one more month till November so we had to facili-tate all the examinations, get the grades marked, academic board approved the grades and so the council on the 18th of April endorsed all your grades. The 900 plus graduates who are graduating this year.

“You joined the rest of the 900 grad-uating in the full colors and academic accreditation in the programs you have completed.

“You can confidently share your pa-pers with you colleagues, your families, employers and the rest of the interna-tional community.

“The paper you got is just equal in value, credence and standing with the rest of the academic community in the world. From those institutions that call themselves universities. l Turn to Page 5

Students preparing to enter the Main Quadrangle at the Main Campus in Goroka for the graduation on April 20, 2016.

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In a small but significant ceremony, the Top Management Team were pre-sented keys to eight new houses on campus from contractors.

The move is a step forward in battling the housing issue which affects some academic and professional staff living off campus.

The eight houses were built by three different contractors.

The houses a one High Covenant Ex-ecutive House, four Medium Covenant Duplex, one HS High Covenant House and two Duplex. The single duplex is located opposite the male students res-idential hall, while the other six houses is at Down Under.

Housing chairperson Pricilla Sakopa was elated when handed the keys and thanked the Planning Division and the contractors for a job well done.

“On behalf of the staff and the Housing committee, thank you very much indeed for taking housing issue as a priority for developments at UOG,” Sakopa said.

“I want to thank the constructors – Guangdong and the others for your time, effort and commitment.

“I want to thank the Planning Division for your great efforts in putting every-

thing together. Thank you so much to Director Mr. Kelly Matoli and your team.

“Thank you so much and we are looking forward to more of this and I’m sure the management will continue to support us and by five years time, all staff should be living on campus.”

Matoli said hi Division will be con-structing another set of houses and du-plex and its in the tender process now.

“By the end of the year, if it goes well, we will hand you keys,” Matoli said.

Representing the Vice Chancellor

on the occasion, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Samuel Kopamu said the small but significant occasion marked the end of millions of Kina being invested in this projects.

“It didn’t take one person to do it. It took a lot of people and lot of efforts went into project planning, sub-leasing, tendering process evaluation to award-ing contracts and now we have some houses,” Dr Kopamu said. “I know that many of our staff members waiting for houses will be very pleased.”

UOG staff gets new houses

The Duplex at Virgin Lane, next to the male student residential hall.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Samuel Kopamu with a representative from Guangdong Construction officially opening the new houses.

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n From Page 3UOG is one of them. It’s a member of the Commonwealth, the university make up the commonwealth.

SUPPORT FOR CAMPUSIn supporting students learning at the campus, Mr. Sukwianomb made a call for the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), through its Department of Higher Education, to review the existing Mem-orandum of Understanding between UOG and the Solomon Islands Gov-ernment to support the Pacific Open Campus.

The MOU was signed in 2014 before establishing the Pacific Open Campus.

“The operations that we (UOG) have and the Department of Higher Educa-tion in this country, I just want to make reference for the need to support this program.

“I read the MOU and we mentioned this to the PNG High Commissioner to Solomon Islands His Excellency Fred Ya-kasa that we need to revise the MOU so that points specified in the provisions of the MOU are clearly restated so that the SIG will have to make some con-tributions to the cost of running some programs.

“You bear witness, for those who will be graduating, that it is better, to stay at home, do your work and do your part-time studies. It’s cheaper, its economical and you don’t have to go away to Papua New Guinea of elsewhere for studies.

“You’ve proven yourself, that you can do studies by distance and flexible learning right here at your door step. Because it’s going to be costing less, we think it is important to go into negoti-ations to revise and review the MOU so the SIG can make contributions towards the cost of running the campus.

SECURED LAND SPACE“We want to secure a land space to allow students to study so we can pro-mote the Pacific Campus in Solomon Islands to other parts of the Region and particularly the Melanesian countries,” the Chancellor said.

“I understand that the former Educa-tion Minister, in his own wisdom took to the National Executive Council while he was in Government, to get the approval for a piece of land to be given approval for this program.

“I know there are some issues but I hope we can renegotiate the deal to have the land restored back to The University of Goroka’s Pacific Open Campus.

“The Solomon Islands and Honiara hosts a number of Pacific Based organi-zations which looks after the interest of the Pacific Nations.

“UOG wants to count among those renowned institution that will provide the back up to the many discussions and engagements that our Govern-ments have undertaken through various regional organizations that are around in the Region.

“We see ourselves as a flag carrier in the provision of education, training and research in higher education. And you are pioneers, those of you that will be leaving us this afternoon, you are real ambassadors. You are really the voice, the catalyst for change for our people in the Solomon Islands.

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT“This year 2016, we have seen three graduations so far, organized by UOG. The main one in Goroka, EHP, we grad-uated 768 students from Masters to Certificates.

“The following week we graduated 48 students in Mt Hagen. This is the third in the series of graduation. We are happy to be part of the graduation.

“Very experienced professionals coming forward, enrolled, paid your fees and the University now is recipro-cating that trust by graduating you in full colors and in full confidence that when you graduate, with the papers that you get, you are as equal as anyone else that have gone through university education.

AGENTS OF CHANGE“I want to appeal to you that our countries, two countries in Melanesia,

the two largest islands in the Mela-nesian region, our Governments are going through a challenging period of governance and leadership. Govern-ment dealing with issues of leadership, accountability and transparency.

“In Papua New Guinea we read a lot about school boards going overboard and irresponsible for public funds. And those of you graduating today, in one way or another, you going to be the managers and supervisors of the educa-tion system in place.

“My call to you is to stand above all and to lead by example on accountabili-ty issues, transparency issues, especially when it comes to public funds.

“If you can do that with this cohort that we are graduating, you should be the models, the guiding examples in making sure that we don’t have issues of corruption if you like, or public mon-ies being misused or misappropriated.

“Keep in the back of your mind that you can make a difference in these areas and we are confident and because you are carrying the flag of The Univer-sity of Goroka.

“We have to all stand together to fight corruption and be above all we can deliver the services that our people need.

The POC started off with 400 students being registered in 2014. Eighteen at least graduated with 200 students still yet to complete their courses.

”It’s a small beginning but a very big stepping stone for you and for us as an institution and collaborators of the two Melanesian countries going forward with an agenda of helping each other. That I think is the very important message.”

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Heavyweights ... From Left: UOG Institute of Distance and Flexible Learning Director Kensol Rui, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor Dr. Glynn Galo, UOG Chancellor Mr. Joseph Sukwianomb, PNG High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands His Excellency Fred Yakasa and Highlands Regional Open Campus Director Mr. Hugo Kop after the Pacific Open Campus graduation in Honiara, SI.

Top Gun ... PNG High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands His Excellency Fred Yakasa presenting an award to full-time student Mr. Boniface Liliu who is the winner of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) In-Service, Science award at the second Pacific Open Campus graduation at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, Honiara, SI.

Signed, sealed, delivered ... IDFL students in Honiara, Solomon Islands, showing off their papers after the graduation ceremony. Top: Graduands listening attentively to speeches at the graduation arena.

19th UOG Graduation in Picture

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History march ... Highlands Regional Open Campus graduands marching in a procession to the graduation arena at the Hagen Park Secondary School, Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province. This was the first HROC graduation.

Benchmark set ... Sixty-six (66) year old Palem Onom from Mul-Baiyer in Western Highlands is the oldest man to grad-uate during UOG’s 19th Graduation Ceremony. He may be the oldest chap ever to graduate with a Bachelors Degree (Ba.School Management) at UOG or the country.

Main Campus, Goroka, EHP

Entertainers ... Bougainville and Milne Bay Students performed their cultural dances to lighten up the 19th UOG Graduation.

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From gaol to a classroom UOG offers second chance to ex-convict after serving time

By STANLEY PHILIP SAUBA Bachelor of Education – CommerceSchool of Humanities (2012-2015)

Three long and perfectly timed dongs of the 9pm bell split the stillness of the night followed by a commanding voice from the guard house ordering silence.

The lights had blacked out an hour ago and the half moon partly hidden by the clouds cast its dim yellowish light through the open barred windows, painting the worn out brick wall inside the cell to pale white.

Most of my cell mates have already curled up under the blue and red striped government-issued blankets while a few others whispered and tiptoed around probably in search of a last roll brus before calling it off for the night.

A continued cough somewhere in the blackness signaled the presence of tuberculosis as I turned to face the wall and struggled to make myself comfort-able on two folded blankets beneath me that had been my mattress for the last one and a quarter year.

Sounds of heavy breathing followed by footsteps came from outside of the cell block as a night-shift guard flash bright spotlights on the barred win-dows above to make sure all prisoners were securely confined.

It was a Tuesday night, April 13, 2010 only a few hours remaining to my final discharge time at 9am the following morning, after serving a prison term of one year and four months inside Lakie-mata Prison in Kimbe,West New Britain.

It was a hot afternoon on Decem-ber 8, 2008, when I first stood at the Lakiemata prison gate to be thoroughly checked before I would be escorted to my cell to start serving my court sentence.

The day I still remember like it hap-pened just a few minutes ago. The hot scorching sun showed no mercy as I quickly wiped the dripping sweat off my bony face to cut off its usual journey down into my heat-affected red eyes.

Blood rushed up my spine and sweat ran down my chest and down my long thin legs inside the faded blue jeans as I shakily forced a smile at the tall correc-tional officer who showed no intention

of smiling back at me. His hawk-like eyes searched my face to catch a sign of panic that would tell him I am hiding a contraband item somewhere among my trousers and two shirts which I hold.

Around the fence perimeters, tower guards watched carefully with their guns aimed down into the precinct and monitoring every movement. As the gates of the heavy iron cell doors swung closed that evening, I suc-cumbed to the painful thoughts that I have failed to repay countless amounts of money embraced with love that my parents and my elder brother (Ezekiel Philip Sauba) spent to see me through in my entire schooling life.

As days grew into weeks, the though tortured me as suffering and despera-

tion grew inside of me. It is like being under water without being able to breathe and the more time that passes, the more you to breath; but you can’t. Or like having your hands in a fire with-out being able to take them out and every minute that passes, the pain gets stronger. A thought came into my mind planning of escaping but nevertheless situations opposed me.

Life, in many occasions, do not give second chances and can be lost in many ways, at times without dying. Being locked-up is one of those ways. When sentence to prison to serve a good number of years and months is like being buried alive.

l Turn to Page 10

Stanley Philip Sauba (right) with a course mate during the 19th Graduation ceremo-ny in Goroka, EHP.

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Revamping ICT

ICTcorner

Telikom PNG staff installing new Wifi outdoor unit on campus.

Mr. Palem OnomBA.School Management, UOG, Dip.

Primary Teaching, Balob

Age: 66-year oldFrom: Mul-Baiyer, Western HighlandsTeaching Experience: Teaching for 40-years (1974-2014). Resigned on January 27, 2014 and at the same time enrolled at the UOG Distance and Flexible Learning.

What motivated you to take up this course? They offered me this programme through the Depart-ment of Education. I resigned at the same time but being offered this pro-gramme made me feel that I needed to go and study again. So I commit-ted my own resources and time to came back to school.

Whats next after this? I want to go back to teaching or any other jobs available in the province or any-where in the country. I can still work. I feel excited. I feel very excited!.

Professional Career Mr. Onom graduated in Balob Teachers College in 1973 and started his first year of teaching at Bagabag Primary School, in Madang in 1974.

In 1977 Mr. Onom contested the Mul-Baiyer Open seat and came fourth. There onwards started teach-ing in the Western Highlands, reach-ing all the districts in the province.

After resigning in 2014, the Government awarded him with the Order of Logohu for his long service to Education in the country. Award-ed at the government House by the Governor General Sir Michael Ogio.

Mr. Onom has 10 children: Two lawyers, an accountant, a teacher, another working with Lamana De-velopment Corporation and another with BSP.

Profiles

As of March 24, the ICT team has ac-tivated emails and internet access for all UOG staff members and registered students.

A total of 4,852 Google based email accounts have been created. A demon-stration session was held at the Mark Solon Auditorium for those that needed help with the use of Google applica-tions or activating their e-mail accounts.

The following was what that trans-pired:l Exactly 463 staff e-mail accounts

have been created for UOG staff members on Google. These accounts will work simultaneously with UOG’s internal email.lExactly 4,389 Google accounts have

been created for UOG students. This means that as of now all Year 1 – Year 4 students and all Postgraduate students have e-mail access.l It is our plan that eventually, all

our internal email will be moved to the cloud based Google account. Google has been so kind and generous to The University of Goroka by providing the following at no cost to us.

We encourage everyone to take ad-

vantage of these opportunities:w Unlimited data storage to indi-

vidual staff and students on their cloud based Google applications account.w Free hosting of our new UOG web-

site.wAt least 10,000 free email accounts

for staff and students of UOG.wFree use of Google classroom facil-

ity (for lecturers and students of UOG).wAssurance of anti-virus protection

on all files stored online.wWith compatibility to the Open

School Information System, thereby providing access to: UOG Student Administration records, UOG Student Housing and Messing records, UOG University Facility records, UOG Finance records, and UOG Staffing & HR records, etc, from any location in the world.

The University provided free internet access to about 500 users (staff and students)concurrently, from 5 different locations around UOG campus. This ser-vice was offered temporarily on a trial basis while awaiting Telikom to install permanent internet infrastructure.

Telikom is in the process of installing new wifi outdoor unit on campus.w

Google hosted emails, wifi units installed

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By SEU NANGAS ADRIAN, GABRIEL JOE AND LOPUK APELLISUOG CREATIVE MEDIA STUDENTS

The University of Goroka launched its redeveloped website on Friday, April 18th in front of a packed Mark Solon Auditorium.

Present to witness the occasion were staff, students, the Top Management Team and the University Council.

The redeveloped website is hosted by Google and is step forward for UOG in terms of beefing up its ICT network and infrastructure on campus.

The website also provides staffs and students of UOG and people around the world with an innovative way of receiving updated information about the university.

Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Samuel Ko-pamu, who was vocal in setting up the website, said information about the university was now readily available for the wider community.

“The website will feature the UOG Academic departments, staff members and profiles, and degree/diploma pro-grams offered,” Dr. Kopamu said.

He said the website is placing the university on the global front and the university is taking the lead in research and teaching and learning.

“What we achieve today is promot-ing the university. By marketing the university to the world we can attract lecturers and professors from interna-tional organizations to come and work,”

Dr Kopamu said. “The current staffs and students are the first to excess and ex-perience this new and exciting service and the launching of this website is the beginning of another level.

The interim University Council Chan-cellor Mr. Joseph Sukwianomb said the world was changing and UOG should also be on par with the changes in ICT.

“This is about building another build-ing block to build a university, we all should be proud of,” Mr Joseph Sukwi-anomb said.

The Chancellor said it was a very important event and a very important innovative period into Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) and the website can now enable students to register through email during second semester, starting this year.

Pro Chancellor Dr Musawe Sinebare said all the developments taking place at the university, headed by the interim council, was about shaping and giving light to the new generation of leaders.

“What you are seeing now in terms of the progress is driven by our university motto Creating the Future.

“The little things we do now adds on to the greater things,” Dr Sinebare said.

Mr. Joseph Sukwianomb officially launched the website.

Reworked website online

Mr. Sukwianomb (left) pressing the “enter” key to officially launch the website as The University of Goroka’s web-master Mr. Junior Taomba looks on to the projector.

n From Page 8That is why there is a saying that prisons are the cemeteries for the living. Your impression of life behind the tall barbed wires fence and brick walls of a prison may be shaped by the movies, books and probably stories you hear from friends or family members who have done time.

The impression that came with hor-rifying stories of dangerous cell fights, food shortage and deadly diseases developed from contaminated water and lack of hygiene. Much worse is the escape nights when all inmates would have to pile out through the open cell door into the unforgiving and merciless hands of those tiring angry warders. It

has been a year since I walked out of that place and looking back I am hum-bled that being in prison has made me a better person. Am not proud of what I’ve done or why I went to jail, but I can change the past: it’s who I am and I have to embraced it and use the experi-ence to make something out of my life. Prison had an unexpected, profound in-fluence on me and gave my life a sense of purpose I could have never predict-ed. In reality it is very different from that of the movies and what people think. It is in its own way a very educative place in a dark way.It was after my jail time I zeal and a strong determination had driven me to do upgrading in 2011 with the Depart-

ment of Self Education (DOSE) with the PNG UNRE and finally was accepted under the School of Humanities Bach-elor of ARTS (Commerce) Degree with University of Goroka in 2012. And out of many of my university friends that I struggle with to make it to the highest point of achievement in my education life is a close friend and Brother Julius Waiguma.

Name: Stanley Philip SaubaAge: 29Origin: Sapuain, Wewak District, WSPReligion: Seventhday AdventistCourse: Bachelor of Education/ Commerce/ Humanities (2012-2015)Admission Year: 2012

UOG offers lifeline, education does not stop behind bars

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Photo of the Month -April


The UOG Bulletin is produced by the Communication and Marketing Unit

Editorial: Isaiah Igish

Pictures:Junior Taomba | Bruce Hoffman Isaiah Igish

Layout & Design:Isaiah Igish

THE UNIVERSITY OF GOROKAP.O. Box 1078Goroka 441Eastern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea

Tel. +675 531 1700 | Fax. +675 532 2620Email. [email protected] THE UNIVERSITY OF GOROKA

©UOG2016

Creating the Future

The interest in learning in general must continue to motivate those respective institutions and both Gov-ernments and Learning Institutions to upgrade learning.

This was the message to the grad-uating students of The University of Goroka’s Pacific Open Campus and the Governments of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands from His Excellen-cy Fred Yakasa – PNG High Commission-er to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

“On the political front, Papua New Guinea has over 38 years of bi-lateral relationship with the Solomon Islands Government, but we have very similar traditions as Melanesians and similar challenges,” Mr. Yakasa said.

“As last frontiers on the world stage, we have a lot to catch up on. We can’t make it anywhere without our precious resource which is our human capital.

“Our people must be educated enough to take on the challenges to lead our countries.”

Mr. Yakasa said many officers in the Solomon Islands Government, includ-ing bureaucrats attained their qualifica-tions back in PNG.

A continuation from such assistance was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between UOG and the

Solomon Islands Government in 2014 on Education assistance in Solomon Islands.

Mr. Yakasa announced that the PNG Government had a commitment with its Melanesian brother for PNG to sponsor 800 students from the Solomon Islands to study in PNG.

This started off by giving scholarships to SI students to study in various institu-tions in PNG. The sponsorship is %100 package and PNG remains committed to continue the commitment, he said.

This graduation is one of such through the University of Goroka.

Around the same time in 2014 UOG signed a MOU with the Solomon Islands

Government. The fruit of which was wit-ness on May 5 - the second graduation of the Pacific Open Campus.

Mr. Yakasa encouraged UOG to work closely with the SI Education Depart-ment and other institutions in the Solomon Islands to work together to improve the learning facilities for the institution in Honiara and a forward base to go out the Region.

In congratulating the graduating stu-dents, Mr. Yakasa said: “You don’t have to go to Goroka, you have done it here”.

SI students are currently studying in the UPNG, UOT, UNRE, Pacific Adventist University, Divine Word University and The University of Goroka.

Learning motivates upgrade

His Excellency Fred Yakasa (third-left) meeting staff of The University of Goroka at the High Commissioner’s office in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

uog bulletin issue 2 (march-april, 2016)

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