The project is an initiative of former students from the 2017 cohort who came up with the idea of giving something back to their department by utilizing what they learnt in their course from first year through to final year.

Project Team leader and former student, Steward Mabiria began this project during his final year of studies in 2017 with its planning, designing and after getting approval from then head of department, Mr. Chris Kobal, began the construction of the display wall with the help of four other colleagues.

Mabiria said the display wall project took four years to complete with the support of his current employer, Hides Gas Development Company Ltd and the Civil Engineering Department.

This project was not done as part of his academic assessment but out of his passion for the engineering course he understudied.

‘’Basically, the display wall project is civil engineering itself in a nut-cell. It comprises of everything we learnt from first year to final year from design, planning, structures, concrete mixing, material listings, project management, built quantities and others’’ he explained.

Mabiria said during the official handover ceremony on Monday that this project was a milestone for himself as he believes in leaving footprints behind that will challenge current and future students to take similar initiatives in giving something back to the department.

“My greatest satisfaction is getting to plan, design and oversee the construction. I urge the students to step up and take initiative of what they feel that will add value to the department,” he added.

The display wall is made of concrete and tiles and bears silver metal letterings of 8mm thickness and 45mm height that says “Home of Civil Engineers”.

Mabiria currently works as a petroleum engineer with the Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC).

HGDC is a local company from the upstream segment of the PNGLNG Project Operator, ExxonMobil PNG Ltd for the last ten years and is an employer of engineering graduates from the university.

HGDC Business Development Manager, Benon Palijah said in statement that the company’s commitment to the department, though small, portrays its progress and desire to build local content to international standards.

Head of Civil Engineering department, Dr. Revanuru Subramanyam conveyed the department’s appreciation to HGDC and the PNGUOT management for working together in successfully completing this project.

“This is a good partnership and cooperation with an industrial partner like HGDC for industrial training for students and intensive programmes in the future,’’ Dr. Subramanyam said.

Mr. Mabiria extended his gratitude to the class of 2017 for their sacrifices in assisting him in making this proposed project a reality as well as the team from the Central Engineering Workshop at the University for the actual construction of the wall.

He said this is the first phase of this project. The second phase will include lighting, roofing and the putting up of names of all the graduates from 1960 to present and he hopes that current and future students of the department can be a part of this project by continuing from here him and his colleagues left off.