Divine Word University partners with PNG Foreign Affairs department

The Department of Foreign Affairs has been working in partnership with Divine Word University (DWU) in building capacity for the Papua New Guinea Foreign Service in recent times.

During the 35th DWU Graduation Ceremony, Deputy Secretary (Operations) for Department of Foreign Affairs, Amb Alexis Maino said, "it is an honour and privilege to present the 2017 Foreign Affairs Awards to the two recipients including Justine Ale and Geoffery Ronny from the PNG Studies and International Relations Department (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences).

"Both awardees received the Silver Medal for academic excellence."

Maino highlighted that one of the key objectives of the Department of Foreign Affairs is capacity building.

In this context; Strengthening Partnerships and Building Capacity at all levels.

He added that DFA has been working in partnership with DWU to build capacity for our Papua New Guinea Foreign Service, which DFA highly values and supports.

"DFA also works in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand to provide a Foreign Service Training Programme for nine (9) months to prepare the newly Graduands, serving officers and colleagues from line departments and agencies the skills, knowledge and the tradecrafts of Diplomacy."

“Mr Justine Ale is in the 2017 Cohort 4 Foreign Service Training Program together with last year’s Foreign Affairs Award recipients including Mr Jude Roa and Ms Jerominah Mugau who recently returned from Wellington, New Zealand for the first part of the FST Program from 5th – 25th February 2017.”

"The Foreign Service plays an important role to promote greater global solidarity, foster transparency and good governance and make the necessary connections for PNG abroad," said Amb Maino.