UNRE STRENGTHENS ACADEMIC STAFF THROUGH TRAINING
By Wasita Royal
THE Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (PNG UNRE) is strengthening its commitment to enhancing academic programs and building a culture of quality assurance.
As part of this strategic effort, the university, co-sponsored by USAID in PNG, recently held an important four-day workshop on Curriculum Design for 60 academic staff recently.
The workshop was expertly facilitated by Dr. Aishat Balugun from Indiana University, whose extensive expertise in curriculum innovation, assessment, and faculty training specifically designed for the teaching personnels and is aligned to UNRE’s curriculum practices and institutional goals and national standards directly supported the Vice Chancellor’s vision for continuous improvement.
Pro Vice Chancellor Planning and Development, Dr. Livingstone Tavull, thanked Dr. Balugun on behalf of University Management and Council, for her dedication, saying the workshop was more than a training event, but a strategic investment in equipping academic staff with the tools to craft curricula that ensure educational excellence, meet industry demands, and advance national development goals.
He also challenged staff to apply their new skills with passion and critical thinking, linking the curriculum development directly to the practical need for creating programs for new schools and ensuring they address national frameworks like PNG’s Medium Term Development Plan 4 and Vision 2050.
Daniel Waldi from the Forestry Department emphasized on how it will enable benchmarking against international standards which is crucial for areas like “Red Plus and Carbon marketing.” He noted that this has provided clear insights for developing more relevant industry-aligned courses.
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