THE University of Papua New Guinea has witnessed the opening of its new student hall of residence funded and built by PNG government and National Capital District under the leadership of Governor Powes Parkop.
A total of 75 twin share rooms residential hall was officially opened by NCD governor Powes Parkop and the keys handed to UPNG Vice Chancellor Professor Frank Keith Griffin today.
The building was built at UPNG Waigani Campus at the back of junior female student hall of residence, Dame Mary Kekedo building at a cost of K18 million .
Professor Griffin was very pleased with the facility which will improve the capacity of UPNG.
“We are very grateful with the NCD and the national government for their continuous investment in this university. It is not anyone’s institution it is everyone’s institution.
“It is a national university and the investment will help us to offer a little bit more than what we are currently doing,” Griffin said.
He added that with the facility given to the University it is now their responsibility to manage it.
“The acquisition of the new facility gives us a little bit more challenge in terms of managing it because the maintenance is now on us, and hopefully we will stay in contact with the NCDC so we can maintain and look after the facility.”
The building is equipped with computer labs for the students to use and like other halls of residence Wi-Fi will be provided. This will enable students to access internet from their rooms for study purposes.
Governor Parkop said the building is to reward the university in exchange for the road NCDC built from Waigani through Morata and to Gerehu which is on university land.
“I am happy that we contributed this facility to the University. They definitely need it,” Parkop said.
He said though the government is building new universities in the country like the Western Pacific University, “we should not neglect pioneer universities, the University of PNG and the PNG University of Technology in Lae.”
The newly opened facility is yet to be decided by the university on whether male or female students will be occupying it.
Moreover, University of PNG has other condemned halls of residents that need maintenance for it to be used to cater for the increase in number of students on campus.