By GEORGINA MICHAEL
THE Minister for Education, Hon. Francis Kikin Siune, Indian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Shri Inbasekar Sundaramurthi, and Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra yesterday officially opened the two-day 2026 Indian Education Fair at the Indian High Commission in Port Moresby.
The fair was organised by the Government of India in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Government and brought together students, parents, school principals, teachers, universities and colleges from Port Moresby.
Eight Indian universities participated in this year’s fair, with representatives engaging directly with students and other interested participants on courses, scholarships, affordability and other opportunities available at their institutions.
H.E Mr.Sundaramurthi highlighted that India’s higher education system is one of the largest in the world, enrolling around 45 million students across nearly 70,000 institutions.
He said for PNG youths, India offers a cost-effective, high-quality and relevant pathway to higher education that equips them to address local challenges while enriching Papua New Guinea’s human capital.
Speaking as chief guest, Minister for Education Hon. Francis Kikin Siune acknowledged representatives from the eight universities and commended the Indian High Commission for hosting the fair in PNG.
He said education and capacity building are fundamental pillars of the bilateral relationship between PNG and India.
He noted that India offers high-quality and affordable education and in recent years thousands of young Papua New Guineans have travelled to India to study in various disciplines including engineering, medicine, healthcare and business.
“The fair gives our students and parents a unique opportunity to directly engage with university officials, explore
undergraduate and postgraduate programs, learn about admission and financing, and discuss institutional partnerships and future cooperation,” Minister Siune said.
“We want to see student exchanges, academic exchanges, joint research projects and institutional partnership facilities between Indian universities and higher education institutions in PNG, building our capacity and enhancing human knowledge.”
He encouraged young PNG students and parents to take full advantage of the fair by exploring opportunities, asking questions and identifying pathways for study.