European Union and UNITECH co-operation to enhance access to quality higher education and promote research

Vice Chancellor & Chief Executive Officer of the University of Technology (UNITECH) Dr. Albert Schram and Mr Chris Alu, Director of the UNITECH Port Moresby Office, met recently with EU Ambassador Martin Dihm

to review past and current co-operation and explore future collaboration opportunities.

Between 2008 and 2010, UNITECH benefitted from European Union (EU) funding for the construction of 4

new buildings, namely one laboratory for post graduate environmental research, one teaching facility

building with computer rooms and lecture theatre as well as two dormitories with washing facilities for postgraduate

students. The objective of this grant was to increase the enrolment of students and help address

the difficulties UNITECH is facing to accommodate its ever growing number of students.

Furthermore, a number of UNITECH students have been granted scholarships to complete masters and postgraduate

degrees in European Universities. Half a dozen candidates have applied for this year's intake. The

first student to benefit from this scheme has just completed a MBA (Masters in Business Administration) at

Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. A number of UNITECH support staff were also given the

opportunity to train at the University of Porto (Portugal).

These activities have been sponsored under the "Erasmus Mundus Programme", the European Union's cooperation

and mobility programme in the field of higher education. The programme is open to students in

many countries in the world and also in Papua New Guinea.

Ambassador Dihm said: "Higher education is immensely important for long term, sustainable development.

UNITECH has made excellent use of the EU programmes for the benefit of PNG students and we look forward

to further strengthening our cooperation in future."

Dr. Schram said: "We are eager to explore new areas of cooperation between the European Union and

UNITECH. It is hoped that also undergraduate students will be able soon to benefit from an EU scheme, the

newly created Erasmus+. We may also look into the area of agricultural research where UNITECH has

developed special expertise and which could be useful for the rural development programmes sponsored by

the Union in Papua New Guinea."

Both side agreed to meet again in the near future to discuss further.