PNGUoT signs MoU with PNGFIA
By Phyllia Pisep
Papua New Guinea University of Technology’s ( PNGUoT ) School of Forestry ( SoF ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Papua New Guinea Forest Industries Association (Inc.) (PNGFIA) last Friday (30th August) at PNGUoT’s Taraka Campus.
The main objectives of the MoU will enable PNGFIA to: Provide PWE training for Year 3 and Year 4 students of the School of Forestry; coordinate a cadetship training program for the students; facilitate the formation of an Industry Advisory Board; and allow PNGUoT to provide training to staff of Forest Industry to upgrade their qualifications.
Head of School ( HoS ) Dr Cossey Yosi said the Forest Industry has been collaborating with SoF for over 30 years to support students’ field trips to selected timber companies and award prizes for academic excellence for students. However, due to COVID-19, from 2019 up to now, PNGFIA minimized their support. The signing of this MoU will now strengthen this longtime partnership.
“The signing of the MoU will also pave the way for the PNGUoT to work with the Timber Industry and PNG Forest Authority to address the Government directives to the forestry sector and assist in addressing the major challenges facing the Forestry Sector which are: reduce export of round logs to 50% by 2025; improve downstream processing so that 80% of PNG timbers are produced domestically by 2030; PNGFA to establish up to 800, 000 hectares of forest plantations by 2050; and Forestry to contribute to the generation of around 70% of GDP”.
The MoU is part of the current structural academic changes within the University. Those changes include the renaming of the thirteen (13) academic departments into schools which are grouped into five (5) Faculties. School of Forestry ( SoF ) is under the Faculty of Natural Resources.
SoF alone caters to three campuses- Taraka Campus; Bulolo University College (BUC); and Timber and Forestry Training College (TFTC).
SoF is benchmarking its Undergraduate Degree programs to meet international standards.
The benchmarking team which is led by Professor Yusuf Sudo Hadi, is undertaking a comprehensive review of the undergraduate courses offered at the School of Forestry. The benchmarking team has completed collecting benchmarking-associated information in six (6) international Universities to see those courses similar to what SoF offers. After the completion of this process, SoF is now ready to benchmark its undergraduate courses with the University of Canterbury (UC) in New Zealand (NZ). SoF is now collaborating with Specialized personnel involved in benchmarking from UC therefore, the benchmarking team will soon submit a report for auditors at UC in NZ to assess before inviting their team from UC to visit SoF.
The benchmarking of programs offered in SoF is an improvement from the 2019 implementation of a new curriculum of four subjects per semester to meet the requirements of the Papua New Guinea National Qualification Framework (PNG NQF). PNG NQF is a system of formal qualifications for tertiary education in PNG.
PNGUoT’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Ora Renagi said the industries have come to realize the need to support the university to deliver the quality of the degrees that they’ve always wanted to see.
“This is a very critical time when we are signing the MoU and I am sure under the leadership of Dr Cossey Yosi and Mr. Kanawi Pouru, President of PNGFIA, I am sure there will be opportunities for research and review of the curriculum and continuing to expand the resources to meet the demand that is coming. I also acknowledge Dr Yosi and his team for this success. ”
“I encourage the School to embrace the partnership with PNGFIA and through the industry our students can have first-hand privileges in the professional environment and we begin to address the demand in the industry. Also, we can build capacity in SoF and become a knowledge hub for science and technology in forestry in the next coming years.”
“So going forward, I am beginning to realize the potential for universities to be entrepreneurial, meaning we have products to sell. I have always encouraged students to train their minds to build something and sell it as a product. The schools under the faculties are also aligning in that direction and together with the industries we will find our mission to provide opportunities to build incubation centers to sell our products.”
Dr Yosi concluded by saying, “This MoU will foster long-term collaboration between the SoF and PNGFIA through education; training; and research”.
Representatives from the three campuses were present to witness the signing of the MoU by the Vice-Chancellor of PNGUoT.
