A Guide for Papua New Guinean Students Seeking Scholarships to Study Abroad

Navigating International Scholarships

Introduction

As the former Vice-Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH), I remain passionate about helping students find opportunities to study abroad. I frequently receive requests for guidance, and this post aims to provide a clear, realistic starting point for your journey.

The dream of international study is achievable, but it requires dedication and thorough research from you, the applicant. This guide outlines the major scholarship pathways available. My goal is to help you focus your efforts, understand the landscape, and take ownership of your application process.

1. Traditional Partners: Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand have long-standing educational ties with Pacific Island nations and offer significant, well-established scholarship programs.

The Degree Dilemma: How AI Cheating & Stagnation Are Reshaping Higher Education and Careers

Bullet Point Summary:

• 🎓 Political Divide: College education levels are increasingly correlated with political affiliations, highlighting a societal schism (CNN, 2025).
• 🤖 AI & Cheating: Widespread use of AI for assignments (almost 90% of students) is devaluing traditional college work, with some students seeing tasks as "hackable" (Walsh, 2024; CNN, 2025).
• 🏛️ University Inertia: Academic institutions are struggling to adapt assessment methods, and AI detection tools are proving unreliable, leading to educator disillusionment (Walsh, 2024).
• 📉 Value Perception: The perceived value of college is declining, with high costs and questions about the relevance of traditional learning methods (Walsh, 2024; CNN, 2025).
• 💼 Job Market Transformation: AI is forcing a rethink of hiring practices, especially technical interviews, as tools emerge that can "cheat" traditional assessments (Walsh, 2024; Hard Fork, 2025).
• 🛠️ Trades on the Rise: Skilled trades offer a viable, debt-free alternative with high demand and earning potential, gaining renewed respect (CNN, 2025; Walsh, 2024).

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The Degree Dilemma: AI, Political Divides, and the Job Market Revolution

The once-unquestioned trajectory from high school to a four-year college degree, and then into a stable career, is now fraught with complexities and re-evaluations. Only for those of us working in education, is education a goal in itself, for the rest of the world it is a means to an end. They want it to do an imporant job: offer a rewarding career, a satisfying life-style and possibly some personal satisfaction. In that order.

Creating Your Own Current: A Lesson in Resistance and Resilience

The Inherited Stagnation – A University Adrift

For the 22-year-old navigating a world of expectations, a world that often nudges you towards the well-trodden path, I offer this: dare to author your own journey. My story of being Vice-Chancellor in Papua New Guinea for 6 years, where I thrived going against the current, illustrates this principle.

Dedicated to my dear friend, the late Larry Orsak (PhD UC Berkeley) here in Lae on the 7th of July 2014 in the rain during the national march against corruption.

The Honest Truth About High Expectations and Feedback in Teaching

Introduction

Observing colleagues, and reflecting on my own practice through the lens of my teaching philosophy, brings two fundamental tensions into sharp focus: setting high expectations and academic standards for learning, and providing accurate, timely feedback. These two aspects cut across all subjects and all ages. After all, an effective teacher is a subject specialist and professional (high expectations and standards), as well as knowledgeable about how to make students learn or the ability to find a fitting pedagogical approach. We hold these as ideals, yet the daily realities of the classroom often force compromises.

1. The High Expectations Tightrope

We know setting high expectations is crucial. Students often rise (or sink) to the level we set. Yet, we also know students frequently seek the path of least resistance – perhaps it’s inherent in the role? 

The High School to University Transition: Essential AI and Human-Centric Skills for Success

​How to ​navigate the transition from IGCSE Business to the IB program and university choices, specifically considering the significant impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future job market​?

The core principles remain, but the focus shifts towards adaptability, human-centric skills, and digital literacy.

Here are 10 points of advice for a IGCSE business student in the age of AI:

GenAI - A Tale of Two Uses: The Office and The Home

Introduction

The landscape of Generative AI adoption is evolving rapidly. A recent follow-up study published in Harvard Business Review sheds light on how usage patterns have shifted over the past year, revealing a notable divergence between professional and personal applications. While the technology permeates both spheres, the way it's being leveraged differs significantly.

1. The Rise of the Personal AI Companion

Perhaps the most striking finding from the 2025 HBR analysis is the surge in AI use for deeply personal needs. Forget coding assistance topping the charts; the number one use case is now "Therapy/Companionship." This is followed closely by "Organizing my life" and "Finding purpose." People are turning to AI for emotional support, self-reflection, planning personal tasks, managing health goals, and even exploring existential questions. 

The article highlights AI's 24/7 availability, relative low cost, and non-judgmental nature as key drivers for these intimate uses, particularly where traditional resources like mental healthcare are scarce. This trend suggests AI is increasingly becoming a tool for self-actualization and managing the complexities of daily life outside the workplace.

Harvard Draws a Line: Financial Risk, Academic Freedom, and the Resistance

The Confrontation - Autonomy Under Siege

Tensions between the Trump administration and the higher education sector culminated recently when Harvard University formally rejected federal directives. The administration had threatened to withhold nearly $9 billion in federal funding, making these funds contingent upon modifications to Harvard's hiring protocols and its approach to addressing allegations of anti-Semitism. This specific confrontation underscores a critical, though potentially overlooked, long-term concern articulated by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz. He observed that while international attention focuses on trade disputes and the restructuring of foreign aid, the administration's posture towards universities may ultimately yield the most profound and enduring detrimental effects globally.

Harvard's response, articulated by President Alan Garber and supported by faculty like Professor Cornell William Brooks, was unequivocal: refusal. They argued the demands constituted an "unlawful, unconstitutional, and profoundly unfair" attempt by the federal government to essentially take over the management, admissions, and intellectual direction of a private university. President Garber wrote: “No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” 

The administration's immediate retaliation – freezing $2 billion in federal grants and President Trump's suggestion of revoking the university's tax-exempt status – instantly escalated the conflict, framing it as a critical battle over institutional autonomy and academic freedom.