VC's Christmas Message 2016

Background

Against difficult odds, the PNG University of Technology was able to round up the 2016 academic year successfully. Fortunately, despite our financial challenges we will continue to be able to process the payroll on time in December and January. We thank you all for your hard work and support during this extremely challenging and stressful year. The night of 24-25 June was not a silent, nor a peaceful night.

Statue of St. Augustine

(Speech at the St. Augustine Parish for the Donation of a Small Statue of St. Augustine, 4 December 2017.)

Today, I would like to present a small statue of St. Augustine of Hippo (now Algeria in North Africa) to this parish which has been named after him when it was consacrated by Bishop Henry van Lieshout on 4th of June 2008.

Statue of St. Augustine in Pavia

Excellence and Transparancy in Research, Teaching and Operations

(Speech delivered at the Closing of 2016 series of UNITECH's 1 hour Tuesday research seminars, Rose Kekedo Foyer, PNGUoT Taraka Campus, 29 November 2016).

As always, it has been great today to be able participate in this very interesting research seminar. Thank you for inviting me and allow me to make a few closing remarks for this year's series.

Dr. Kaul Gena presenting his research at the seminar 22 November 2016

Let me cluster my remarks around three key questions. First, is there a standard of excellence for research? Secondly, what role do publicly funded research intensive universities play in the national innovation system? Third, what are UNITECH's contribution to research and innovation in PNG?

Vice Chancellor's Speech to Welcome Student upon Resumption of Classes 30 August 2016: 9 am

(under embargo until 12 pm, Monday 29 August 2016)

Duncanson Hall, Tuesday 30 August 9-10 am

Dear Students, Professors, Heads of Departments, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are happy to welcome back all our students. After only one and a half day of registration, almost 1,000 had already registered. Our student seem eager to go back to the lecture halls and resume their studies. We trust that you will continue to show this attitude through your behaviour at all times until the end of your studies.

Last Thursday, the first dinner was served in the temporary mess, which was set up by iPi in less than 1 month. We are very grateful for their efforts, which made it possible to re-open the university in record time. The criminals who burnt down the old mess, thought they had knocked out UNITECH for at least a year, or forever. Instead we rose like a phoenix from the ashes, and we are open for business again.

Ancient mythical phoenix 

​From the outset we have said to the students, that everywhere else in the world, students engage in religious, sports, cultural and political activities while attending classes. Voting massively for a class boycott in week 10 while not having a plan or strategy was therefore unwise. Even more unwise, was to postpone the return to classes on 5 June. Then it was postponed again until 20 June, but by that time acrimony among students prevailed, students refused to return to classes.

Meeting the police to stop the shooting and rock throwing

Council member Dilu Goma on PM's legal arguments

http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2016/06/peter-oneills-exculpatory-arguments-do-not-stand-scrutiny.html

On planning for effectiveness, and the virtues of moderation

VC's Speech delivered at the SRC forum on 5 June 2016

Dear Students:

Thank you for inviting me today at this SRC forum to share some thoughts about your future as a student and a professional, and the future of this University.

The University Management at the Forum

During the last 2 weeks, the students have played an important role in raising awareness about the complex constitutional and economic issues facing the country, In doing this, they showed intelligence plus character, which is the hallmark of any educated person.

Innovation and Agriculture Workshop held 30-31 May 2016

National Awareness Starting

Interview with David Conn on UNITECH Masterplan (5 April 2016)

Pacific Beat: UPNG students told they can leave and be replaced by others

Original article

Minister Tabar seems to want to replace the whole student population of UPNG. How is that going to work? (Click on the Facebook icon, the comments are priceless).

PNG UNITECH votes for a boycott in valid referendum: 2059 votes or 87% of votes

PNG‬ university students protest against government interference in ongoing corruption cases

Another international PG student joining UNITECH

Our Opposition to the Higher Education Act 2014 remains firm and unchanged

Our position on the #PNG #highered act remains firm and unchanged. Let us continue to protect the autonomy of our...

Posted by Albert Schram on Friday, April 8, 2016

#PNG #UNITECH Backgrounder: Urban Development Led by Universities

#PNG #UNITECH Backgrounder: In urban development, universities can be better neighbours https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/urban-development-universities-can-be-better-neighbours

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, April 6, 2016

#PNG #UNITECH Township Development Plan Unveiled

#PNG #UNITECH township development plan unveiled. Request for proposals at http://www.unitechpng.com. EMTV coverage at: http://www.emtv.com.pg/article.aspx?slug=PNG-Unitech-Township-Development-Master-Plan-

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, April 6, 2016

PNG University of Technology Development Plan: Uni-Mall

Drawing of proposed UNI-MALL: commercial centre, market and office space on #PNG #UNITECH campus in Lae.

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

PNG University of Technology Development Plan: Great Hall and Conference Centre

#PNG #UNITECH large hall and conference centre. A University Hotel will be located next to it. Preliminary drawing

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

‪#‎UNITECH‬ Graduation 2016 with Justin Olam, winger of ‪#‎PNG‬ ‪#‎Hunters‬. Congratulations with your BSc. in Applied Physics!

#UNITECH Graduation 2016 with Justin Olam, winger of #PNG #Hunters. Congratulations with your BSc. in Applied Physics!

Posted by Albert Schram on Saturday, April 2, 2016

UNITECH graduation 2016: 978 graduates

Students and parents at #PNG #UNITECH 2016 graduation. Thank you all for making it a wonderful and colourful day.

Posted by Albert Schram on Saturday, April 2, 2016

Leadership for the public interest, and long-term development

- UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 1 APRIL 12 PM - 

Check against delivery

Speech a the 48th Graduation held on 1 April 2016 at Taraka Campus

Welcome to UNITECH where leaders are forged and the future is created today.

With Justin Olam, PNG Hunter Winger and UNITECH Graduate Applied Physics

Hereby we wish to congratulate the graduands, their parents and sponsors, and thank the staff who have been working hard to make this day a memorable one for everybody.

#‎PNG‬ ‪#‎UNITECH‬ executive MBA program students working hard on my case

Working on hard case with #PNG #UNITECH executive MBA program students #highered

Posted by Albert Schram on Thursday, March 17, 2016

With Netherlands Ambassador Hon. Annemieke Ruigrok

Invited Netherlands Ambassador Ruigrok @JGMRuigrok at #PNG #UNITECH 50th birthday celebration 26-27 May. It is going to...

Posted by Albert Schram on Thursday, March 10, 2016

UNITECH's 48th Graduation on 1 April 2016

#PNG #UNITECH 48th graduation on 1 April, as approved by the Academic Board. There has been NO change. All graduates should have learned to think critically and rely on evidence rather than rumours.

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, February 24, 2016

PNG students say shortage of university places leading to corruption

#PNG students say shortage of university places leading to corruption #highered #UNITECH. Proud of our alumna Josephine...

Posted by Albert Schram on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

‪#‎PNG‬ ‪#‎UNITECH‬ Vice-Chancellor concerned over limited university places

#PNG #UNITECH Vice-Chancellor concerned over limited university places.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-12/pngut-vice-chancellor-concerned-over-limited/7164836

Posted by Albert Schram on Thursday, February 11, 2016

UNITECH's resident salt water crocodile's cage cleaned

#PNG #UNITECH #RFH Philip Agro's, the salt water crocodile cage was cleaned last week. A fresh start of the new year. Thank you Tablebirds crew!

Posted by Albert Schram on Sunday, February 7, 2016

11 February: First SRC Forum 2016

#PNG #UNITECH #SRC2016 congratulations with the 1st open forum on the GPA/WA issue. Good team work between SEMT and SRC...

Posted by Albert Schram on Thursday, February 11, 2016

How to Stop Corruption at Universities

(UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2016, 9 PM - CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)

Speech at the opening of the Postgraduate Certificate Program on Student-Centred Teaching at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology on Wednesday 10 February 2016, 4  pm.

Background

Why is the Papua New Guinea University of Technology offering a course for all its staff on student centred teaching? Possible answers are, because of accreditation requirements, because of our vision to become a student-centred university producing highly employable graduates, because of the specific characteristics of our special students, or because we constantly need to update our knowledge in order to stay relevant in society?

Source: http://kdrausin.com/2014/10/05/i-love-teaching/

Let me tell you how I feel about it.  I belief that only by focusing exclusively on excellence in teaching and research, universities can be leading institutions towards building a knowledge-based society. This course will help us focus again on our fundamental principles in teaching, propel us towards excellent and best-practice, and assist us in developing a common understanding and approach to effective teaching.

However, more effective teaching and better learning will only occur only if all forms of corruption at the university are rooted out.

Vice Chancellor's Speech Opening of the new Nursing Buildings 5 February 2016

VC and Principal receiving keys from Minister of Health, Hon. Malabag

Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Background

Today, we celebrate an important milestone in the rebuilding of the Angau Hospital and the Lae UNITECH Nursing College (LUNC). It is a happy occasion and part of this year's celebration of our Golden Jubilee year. We are happy and proud the LUNC is an important part of our diverse community of learning. Amongst our faculty we have over 30 different nationalities, and representatives of all world religions, muslims, hindus, budhists, bahai etc. PNG is a Christian country, but freedom of religion is enshrined in its constitution, and we believe that diversity is in deed our strength.

First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Principal of the College, Manase Moya, for overseeing the building of these dormitories, bringing all the parties together and providing leadership, and organizing this event on such short notice. I also want to thank Deputy Vice Chancellor to whom I have delegated all matters concerning our 3 colleges - Bulolo University College, Timber and Forestry Training College and the Lae UNITECH Nursing College. Then I want to thank. Dr. Kaul Gena PVC-Administration and the Project Office team, who have taken care of the building of staff houses for the LUNC on our main, Taraka campus.

Vice Chancellor's Dinner Speech 31 Jan 2016

Ambassador of Japan HE Matumoto, Ambassador of the European Union, HE Giogkarakis-Argyropoulos, Governor of Jiwaka Dr. Tangamp, Colonel Wrakonei (Commanding Officer  Joint Services Academy), Invited Guests, Representatives of so many business houses, Chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan, Council Members (Judd, Wissink, Worthington, McClay, and Bidang), Students, Professors, Faculty, Staff, all friends and partners of UNITECH,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Overview of 2015

First of all, on behalf of UNITECH's management team we like to welcome you all to this second Vice Chancellor's dinner, which we hold before the opening of the academic year. My wife Paulina (also representing Buk Bilong Pikinini) and I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very healthy, happy and productive new year, and wish you all the best in 2016.

Treekangaroo

I thank you all for your support last year, with special thanks to our Chancellor Sir Nagora Bogan, the private sector – our graduate's employer as well as our university's essential suppliers – and our many foreign partners, represented here by Ambassador of Japan and the European Union.

Opening Academic Year 2016: On Being a Good University (part 4 - 1 Feb 2016)

Speech held by Dr. Albert Schram, Vice Chancellor, at the opening of the academic year on Monday 1 February 2016, Duncanson Hall, West Taraka Campus.

Twitter: @albertschram

Clouds or Blue Sky?

Is the sky blue, or clouded in 2016?

Ambassador of Japan HE Matumoto, Ambassador of the European Union, HE Giogkarakis-Argyropoulos, Governor Hon. Dr. William Tongamp, Honoured Guests, Students, Faculty, Staff ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to UNITECH, where tomorrow's leaders are forged. 

Hereby, I declare the Academic Year 2016 officially opened.

Let me start by thanking the Orientation Week committee for putting together a wonderful program, and the Estates and Services Dept and Central Teaching Facilities for showing off today all our facilities in the best possible light.

More than 60% of our students are the first in the family to go to University, and over 20% are the first in their communities. Many of you, therefore, do not know what a university is exactly and how it operates. Today, in this speech I want to provide all students some guidance.

Leadership Lessons from the UNITECH Saga

Speech delivered for the Voice Inc 1st "Nation Builder Conference", Waigani, 15-21 January.

Leadership Lessons from the UNITECH saga: how the students did it.

(750 words – 4 minutes)

UNITECH students peacefully demonstrating in the provinces

The UNITECH saga between 2012-2014, is one of the few cases in which a PNG government had to concede completely to the demands of a civil society, in this case the student movement. An insightful article about the student movement was published in Times Higher Education, in the middle of the crisis. A number of important lessons can be learned from the student movement on how to influence public policy through peaceful and democratic activism.

Regrettably, not everybody has learned these lessons, and today some are still trying to make life difficult for the UNITECH students and its new leadership team. In 2014, for example, some of these same people managed surreptitiously, without consultation to abolish the autonomy of University Councils in the new Higher Education Act. Unsurprisingly, recently some of these university councils appealed to the government to have the offending article 109 repealed. No answer is expected any time soon. A more recent challenge is the withdrawal of HECAS scholarship money for the students. We met with the Minister of higher education to ask him to fund the scholarships. Promises were made, but no answer was received.

Leadership for Green and High Performing Universities

- DRAFT DO NOT QUOTE -

Dr. Albert Schram

Papua New Guinea University of Technology

Introduction

Universities are complex organizations with a triple mission: teaching, research and outreach (or the third mission). Their operations dimension can have a considerable environmental impact depending on the number of students and staff, whether they manage residential campuses or not. Their economic impact regionally or even nationally can be substantial, in terms of generation of employment and their need to utilize a wide range of suppliers. In this article, we try to shed light on the question whether for universities better environmental performance is an optional element of their strategy, or is it linked to overall performance?