By CHARLIE DUMAVI
VARIOUS university Student Representative Council (SRC) presidents have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work in partnership in organizing corporate events to address issues of concern in the country.
The signing was done on Sunday, August 22 at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby. Presidents who signed the MoU include Bradley Yombon-Copio (UPNG), Jim Harold (UOG), Elizah Kapma (UoT) PhillIE Julai (DWU), also in attendance where IBSU (Institute of Business Studies University) and a rep from the University of Natural Resources and Environment (UNRE).
The MoU signed is a non-binding agreement to allow not only the State institutions but also private run universities in the country to work as a team.
The signing will now allow institutions to facilitate programs like student exchange, sporting events, debates and researches that will provide information to address some burning issues in the country.
UPNG’s Yombon-Copio said the common issue that they will be focusing on is the Department of Higher Education policies that always affect the universities and also to give voice to the private institutions as a team.
“If the government want to invest in the future of the country it is a very simple equation. You can talk about all the resources our country has but they have to invest into the institutions that are producing the people who are going to run this country in the next 40 to 50 years.
“This is not China or USA where you have 2,000 universities and you don’t know where someone is going to end up. You can say these are students who are talking but even a billion kina investment into a university is a worthy investment,” said Yombon-Kopio.
UOG SRC President Jim Haro is pleased with the signing who said “this is where we start in all our tertiary institutions from universities to colleges and technical institutions throughout the nation. The agreement is open for all tertiary intuitions to be attached where future students can advance in it.
Speaking on behalf of the DWU and also as a woman, Phillie Julai said as a unified body and with her male counterparts they are working for only one outcome. That is for universities to be inclusive and influential in decision making and more importantly change the universities.
“There are a lot of indifferences happening between universities in the country and this has to stop. We all have to contribute to the development of this nation. We appeal that the next SRC presidents should carry this MoU and take it seriously. This is the way forward,” said Julai.
She said as a church run institution, DWU including PAU don’t really participate with other state owned institutions; however they are now ready to work as a team and hoping PAU joins the team.
The SRC presidents are now working on being a unified body not only in educational programs but an avenue to create solutions and options in the development of the country.
A good foundation set and the incentive is aspiring to achieve greater common aspirations… Thanks for the bold stance and the incentive that the above named SRC bodies have taken… We hope future representatives will collaborate and implement accordingly to achieve the goals prescribed…. God bless us on… John Kamb Gundu….