In Conversation with Dr. Albert Schram
The Interviewer: Good morning, Dr. Schram. Thank you for coming in. I’ve reviewed your professional profile on LinkedIn and done a deep search about you, and it’s quite a remarkable journey. Before we walk through the chronology, I’d like to start with your motivations. Your career shows a profound commitment to education as a tool for advancement, and an interest in migrants and indigenous people. Where does that passion for education come from?
Dr. Albert Schram: It's deeply rooted in my family and a few personal epiphanies. I come from a family of teachers, of whom several worked in both secondary and tertiary education. We share a core belief that education is the great leveller, offering the best path to social mobility and personal advancement.
I received an excellent public education in Europe, completely subsidized by the state, and through my teaching I give back to society what is has invested in my education. This tradition of teaching runs deep. My father, himself a first time university graduate in the family, enjoyed teaching classical mechanics to first year Physics students. My Italian ancestors include teachers who fought with Garibaldi to build a public education system in Italian. My great-aunt was a pioneering female teacher who had to move from her home region for her appointment. My grandfather, a Professor of Classical Languages at the University of Bologna, was so dedicated to integrating Latin into the middle school curriculum that he was awarded the title of Commendatore, the highest honor from the Italian Republic. My mother, through her doctoral studies on Italian intellectuals in France, brought a focus on the integration of migrants—a legacy my brother continues today by teaching Syrian and other migrant children in the Netherlands. For her work with Italian migrants, my mother also received the Commendatore recognition. Seeing myself as a permanent migrant, this background naturally led me to an interest in the integration of migrants and indigenous populations, and the environment in which they survive and thrive.
The Interviewer: That's a fascinating connection. Where did this specific interest for non-Western, indigenous populations and the natural environment come from, since they are not a prominent feature of life in Europe?
Dr. Albert Schram: It began, coincidentally, in Europe. One of my mother’s old friends in Florence was part of the Sami nation, the only indigenous population in Europe, who live with their reindeer herds across northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Chatting with this auntie was revealing for me to realize that around 5% of people have a world view and value system completely different from my Western mindset. This interest in truly foreign people is typical of my mothers thinking habit in the words of the poet Giacomo Leopardi “to consider the reverse side of every notion with equal care” (Pensieri, 1845). The Western world view and the indigenous world view as the reverse side merit equal attention.
My first encounter with indigenous people outside Europe was in 1980 with the Havasu first nation in Arizona, and I was staying 3 months with my aunt and cousins in Westwood, Los Angeles (CA, USA). My aunt, my father’s sister, had many books on the first nations of California, so I became intellectually curious. To be honest, my first encounter was a bit of a disappointment. In Italy, I was used to different cities having unique dialects and cuisines. When I arrived at the Havasu village, I eagerly looked for a local restaurant, only to find it served American hamburgers.
My second encounter, however, in 1993 with the Bri-Bri people in a remote border zone between Costa Rica and Panama, left a profound impression. Around this time, I made it a habit to read books about Anthropology, a discipline akin to history. First nations in Latin America often use Spanish as a second language, so communication was easy. This tribe is famous for having defeated the Spanish in the 1500s, incredibly, it was the first year they had ever received Costa Rican ID cards and were formally considered citizens. As a doctoral student, I was struck by their genuine curiosity about my studies, a stark contrast to the feigned interest I found in the capital. Later, I learned one of their tribal members is Dr. Franklin Diaz-Chang, the first Latin American astronaut at NASA, who holds a doctorate in Physics from MIT.
Very few will associate indigenous people with austronauts, showing indeed that the sky is the limit with what talented and driven individuals can achieve through formal education. During my visit, a Bri-Bri family, after carefully inquiring about my doctoral research on railway building and development in Europe, asked for practical advice: should they send their seven-year-old son to school? I felt a moment of trepidation, knowing the crime and drugs rife in the schools in that area. But after a pause, I said yes, because it would ultimately make it easier for their family to thrive.
This interest for indigenous population and the environment all culminated in Papua New Guinea, where all my students were indigenous, from over 800 different tribes and languages. They taught me so much about their customs and how they were constructing their own versions of modernity. My friendship with the leaders of Busamang village, Tobby and Moses, came about accidentally. From the air, I had seen a beautiful reef close to Lae, and went to explore it one weekend. They summoned me from the water to ask who I was and my purpose, as is customary. I explained I was the Vice-Chancellor and, besides wanting to relax, was interested in developing projects with our students. This started a collaboration that lasted nearly three years and continues today. I later read the anthropological works of Ian Hogbin about their village, but the intellectual interest soon became secondary. The personal element became most important. Being adopted as a brother by Tobby and Moses—two successful village leaders, fishermen, and fathers who can still climb a palm tree—that is the connection that truly matters.
The Interviewer: Thank you for sharing that. It provides a powerful context for your entire career. Let’s start at the beginning of that professional journey. The report details a strong academic foundation: a Master’s from the University of Utrecht and then a Ph.D. from the European University Institute in Fiesole.
Dr. Albert Schram: It was fundamental. My education at Het Nieuwe Lyceum was rigorous with strong maths and sciences and modern as well as classical languages. In fact I found the first year at university easy compared to my high school. At Utrecht and later at Leiden University, I developed my core interest in history and political science. After my military service during which I was a teacher at the Royal Dutch Air Force Officers School, I did my doctoral studies in Florence at the European University Instiute (EUI), the social sciences research institute of the European Commission. This was a transformative experience; it’s a deeply international institution, and receiving one of only two full scholarships to study there was a privilege. My doctoral research on Italian railways and state formation cemented my analytical skills, and I was one of the first historian to use a notebook computer and a Geographical Information System. Having that work published by Cambridge University Press in 1997 gave me the academic credibility that opened doors for the rest of my career. It taught me the importance of meticulous research and evidence-based arguments—a principle I’ve tried to apply not just in academia, but in administration as well.
The Interviewer: And that path quickly became global. You moved to Costa Rica in the 1990s and spent nearly a decade at ULACIT, becoming a full professor and even supervising doctoral theses. What prompted that move to Central America?
Dr. Albert Schram: It was an opportunity to apply my skills in a completely different context. At ULACIT as full professor of environmental economics and policy, I was not only teaching but was deeply involved in building their doctoral program in partnership with Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. Simultaneously, I coordinated an environmental economics program for the University of Costa Rica and served as an advisor to the Ministry of Environment. This period was crucial; it broadened my focus from pure economic history to sustainable development and environmental policy, which became a recurring theme in my work. Starting my career in a developing country also strengthened my conviction that if universities do not contribute to solving societal problems and produce employable graduates, they are part of the problem and not the solution. It made me very practical and a hands-on university leader.
The Interviewer: Following Central America, you had several roles back in Europe and then the Caribbean—a research fellowship at Ghent University, a lectureship with the School for Field Studies in the Turks and Caicos, and then Academic Director at the Maastricht Hotel Management School. Before taking on top leadership, you were a Director of Development and Research Funding at Maastricht University. It seems you were deliberately building a portfolio in academic administration.
Dr. Albert Schram: That’s an accurate assessment. Each role was a building block. My time in Ghent deepened my research in environmental economics. The Caribbean was a hands-on role in a very different educational model—field-based studies. Returning to the Netherlands, the position at Zuyd University’s Hotel Management School was my first major step into high-level academic direction as an executive with board accountability. Then, at Maastricht University, my job was to secure large-scale research funding as one of the director of the METEOR the research school. Over that decade, I accumulated extensive experience in international project management, financial oversight, and strategic planning. Since my role was eliminated due to reorganization, the university offered me various executive level training course and coaches. I felt at this point I was ready for a senior leadership challenge.
The Interviewer: And that challenge came in the form of the Vice-Chancellorship at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH). You were appointed in late 2011. The report notes the university was experiencing significant unrest at the time. What was the situation you walked into?
Dr. Albert Schram: It was a difficult environment, especially since the first Council had transformed the university I can say without exageration into a joint criminal enterprise. The previous leadership had been ousted following student protests, a long and dramatic staff strike, and administrative turmoil. The university needed a fresh start. As an expatriate leader, I was seen as an outsider who could bring in new standards of governance and accountability. My vision was clear: to modernize the university, align it with global benchmarks, and most importantly, instill a culture of transparency. We immediately initiated a new strategic plan and a campus master development plan to provide a clear roadmap for the future.
The Interviewer: You certainly made an impact. The file lists substantial achievements: over US$30 million invested in infrastructure, securing donations, and a major technological leap with the O3B satellite network, making UNITECH the first university in the world with that capability. You also achieved the first unqualified financial audits in decades.
Dr. Albert Schram: Yes, those were the new Council's priorities. The infrastructure was dilapidated; we built new staff housing and upgraded student facilities and roads. The O3B internet connection in 2015 was a game-changer, transforming access to information for our students and staff. But for me, the clean financial audits and achieving a balanced budget by 2017 were the most critical achievements. They were proof that we were establishing proper governance. On the academic side, we introduced an Executive MBA and other programs to make our offerings more relevant. We also forged numerous partnerships with international universities, like the engineering faculty at James Cook University in Australia, to elevate our standards and work towards international accreditation.
The Interviewer: This is where your tenure becomes, as the report puts it, a "saga." About a year in, you were abruptly deported, with the Minister for Higher Education at the time, David Arore, labeling you a "threat to national security." What happened?
Dr. Albert Schram: It was a direct consequence of our anti-corruption efforts. My administration found numerous financial irregularities, and it appears we threatened some very powerful interests. The "threat to national security" label was baseless, a pretext to remove me. It’s ironic, as the report notes, that Minister Arore himself had dismissed the previous university council due to widespread irregularities and was later found guilty of bribery. Earlier he had been expelled from a University in New Zealand, for bad behaviour, which apparently made him eligible for the role in PNG. It even emerged years later almost unbelievably that one of the former council members was involved in money laundering for a terrorist organization (see http://bit.ly/rexpaki). The situation was incredibly complex and dangerous for an academic, who is not used to dealing with criminals. With my background, I was never temped to engage in any bribe taking or paying. This simply does not exist for me. Fortunately, my father had always been a person with strong values, rooted in the Dutch protestant Christian tradition.
The Interviewer: You then spent over a year in exile in Australia, fighting to return. The report mentions strong support from students and staff.
Dr. Albert Schram: Their support was everything. The students and staff were courageous; they protested and demanded my return because they saw the progress we were making. During that time, an inquiry led by Mark Sevua, a supreme court judge was launched to investigate claims that I had falsified my credentials, but it found no evidence of any wrongdoing. The accusations were, as I said at the time, "silly and baseless." Eventually, the government intervened, a new Minister and new governing council was appointed, and I was reinstated in April 2014. The students’ welcome when I returned to campus was one of the most moving moments of my career (see https://bit.ly/schramisback).
The Interviewer: You led the university for several more years, but then new disputes arose, leading to your suspension and eventual dismissal in early 2018. The core of that dispute, again, seemed to be a challenge to your Ph.D. qualification.
Dr. Albert Schram: Indeed. My Ph.D. is an issue that only exists in PNG. The conflict resurfaced with a new council. I was suspended and presented with a large number allegations, all based on inuendo and lies, to which I responded. However, these allegations lacked any credibility since no evidence was ever presented to substantiate them. My dismissal, which I maintain was unlawful as I was denied a judicial review, was finalized. The issue of my Ph.D. was resurrected by my detractors, despite my degree being well-documented and my dissertation published. As a settlement, I agreed to a severance package where the university retained half of my salary since 2015 and all of my business travel expenses, which amounted to a personal cost of about a quarter of a million US dollars.
The Interviewer: The ordeal didn’t end there. You were arrested in May 2018 on charges of "obtaining employment through false pretence."
Dr. Albert Schram: That was the lowest point. Some vindictive former council members, the same ones dismissed back in 2012, pursued this. I was arrested during a short visit to PNG. My passport was confiscated and I was held hostage for over a month. It was also remarkable and inexplicable that the Dutch Embassy in Canberra, barely lifted a finger to support us. Meanwhile, the British High Comission (my wife is also British, but not a passport holder), called us everyday, understanding that we were in precarious situation.
The entire thing hinged on the fact that I didn't have the original copy of my 1994 doctoral certificate with me; it was stored at the EUI in Italy. Afterwards I went to great lenghts to have a certified original sent ot PNG, which was practically impossible since PNG is one of the few counties that has not signed the codicille convenetion for the legalization of private documents. I had, of course, provided a certified copy upon my hiring, and PNG’s own Department of Higher Education had previously confirmed my qualifications. It was all bizarre because verification of credentials is never done through original documents, since nowadays these can easily be falsified. It was clearly a malicious prosecution, a trumped-up charge designed to punish me. My family and I were under immense emotional and financial strain and we lost all our savings. Eventually, I was granted court permission to travel to Italy to retrieve the document, and the case, as I predicted, was resolved in my favor for lack of evidence. But after that, I knew my time in Papua New Guinea was over.
The Interview: I want to focus on your time in Papua New Guinea, if I may, and ask a critical question. Looking at the timeline, your tenure was defined by constant conflict, culminating in your deportation, arrest, and eventual dismissal. Frankly, from an outside perspective, it reads less like a successful turnaround and more like a catastrophic failure in stakeholder management. Why should we believe you wouldn't create similar chaos elsewhere?
Dr. Albert Schram: The 'chaos' was not created by my actions or administration; it was the reaction of a corrupt system being dismantled. My mandate was to bring transparency and accountability to an institution plagued by financial irregularities. We were incredibly successful in that mission, achieving the first clean audits in decades and balancing the budget.
The conflict arose precisely because we were succeeding. The deportation, the baseless accusations, and the arrest were not failures of management but rather the desperate, illegal actions of powerful individuals whose interests were threatened by our anti-corruption efforts. The most important stakeholders - the students, the staff, and the reform-minded government officials who brought about my return in 2014 - continued to be my strongest allies. I collaborated successfully with all government authorities, including 7 Ministers of Higher Education, and 3 Chancellors. I also want to than the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Australian National University's Center for Development Policy, and Scholars at Risk at New York University, who were well aware of the situation and continually supported me. My experience proves that I can deliver transformative results even in the face of extreme, unethical opposition, not that I create chaos. I am steadfast in upholding governance, and that is a source of stability, not conflict.
The Interviewer: Since leaving PNG, you’ve returned to Europe. The file says you’re now based in Italy and have taken up a faculty position first with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), and then with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC - University of Nebraska), and at the same time started a new career as high school teacher in the IB Diploma Programme at various International Schools.
Dr. Albert Schram: Yes, I’ve transitioned back into teaching and consulting. For me and my wife, Paulina, Italy has always been a home. Teaching economics in the IB diploma programme at Smiling International School, and management and marketing at USAC allows me to engage with students globally. I also work as a senior executive advisor, helping other higher education institutions with strategy, digital transformation, and turnaround management. I try to share the hard-won lessons from my own experiences, particularly on the importance of good governance and the dangers of political interference in academia.
The Interviewer: On a personal note, you’ve lived and worked in at least a dozen countries and speak four languages fluently, with knowledge of others, including Tok Pisin. How has this multicultural life shaped you?
Dr. Albert Schram: It defines who I am. I see myself as a European with Italian-Dutch roots. My wife, who is Kenyan and holds a Dutch passport, and I have built a life together across continents. This exposure has given me a deep appreciation for different cultures and education systems. It teaches you adaptability and resilience. Picking up some Tok Pisin in PNG, for example, was essential for connecting with the university community on a personal level. Despite the difficulties, I remain passionate about education's power to transform societies and all efforts to include those excluded. My advice to any academic working abroad is to be acutely aware of the local political landscape and, given my ordeal, to never compromise your values.
The Interviewer: Dr. Schram, thank you for your candor. Your story is a powerful case study in global educational leadership - one of significant achievement, reform, and profound personal and professional challenges. Your resilience, courage and commitment to higher education reform is evident. I appreciate you sharing your perspective with me today.
Dr. Albert Schram: Thank you. It was my pleasure.
(Unpublished interview in Italian)
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