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Aiming for literary excellence
By FRANK ASAELI
Dr Steven Winduo, a senior lecturer with the University of PNG's
Literature department was recently appointed to teach at a
University in the United States of America (USA).
In August this year he took up a position of Visiting Professor
in English at the University of Minnesota for ten months.
The Department of English and College of Liberal Arts at
University of Minnesota awarded him the Visiting Professorship
up until May 2008.
As Visiting Professor, he will teach Analysis of English and
Literacy and American Cultural Diversity, Analysis of English
and Pacific Literary and Cultural Diversity.
To be recruited as Professor in USA is difficult but Dr Winduo
said he was fortunate that his Alma Mata recognized his
qualifications and experience by awarding him the position.
Dr Winduo was grateful to his former supervisor in his PhD
studies, Professor Genevieve Escure, who is on Sabbatical Leave
while he is sitting in for her.
Professor Genevieve and Professor Paula Rabinowitz, the Head of
the English Department were instrumental in his appointment.
Through this engagement Winduo said he hoped to gain the
experience of academic respectability and renewed interest in
his field.
He kind of felt he was losing it while at UPNG, so going there
gives him breathing space to commit himself fully to what he had
been trained to do.
Dr Winduo will use the opportunity as a writer also to develop
his creative talents and perhaps have some of his work published
in the USA.
"I will be in a better position to evaluate my teaching
experience in two different institutions in two different
countries and improve on the delivery of lessons to students (at
UPNG)," Dr Winduo said.
He said: "What is important is the opportunity to develop
friendship and networks that can be used in future to develop
educational exchange and research opportunities between USA and
PNG."
Born on January 28 1964 at Ulighembi village, East Sepik
province. Steven grew up in a very poor family wearing one short
and shirt to school every year.
He is the eldest in a family of eight born to Gregory Huiniayek,
a subsistent farmer and Anna Hafiye who passed away in 1990.
Steven was educated at Mongniol primary school in Wewak and 1978
attended St. Xaviers High School on Kairiru Island.
He achieved his higher school certificate in 1983 at Aiyura
National High School, Eastern Highlands province and enrolled at
UPNG in 1984 to study Literature, Philosophy and History.
Steven completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 and
graduated the following year.
He completed his BA Honors degree in 1989 while working full
time as a Library Fellow at the UPNG, Michael Somare Library.
Steven sponsored himself for the Honors degree and after a year
as a Library Fellow, resigned to concentrate on his studies and
graduated in absentia in 1990.
"My early plans were to learn everything in my field of study
and reach the highest level, which is the doctorate degree. It
means that I have to teach in the university and continue to do
what I do best, which is writing," Dr Winduo said.
He went on to complete his Masters degree in English in 1991 at
the University of Canterbury, Christchurch on a New Zealand
government scholarship.
Steven graduated in absentia in 1992. He first started teaching
Tokpisin, Translation Principles and some Literature courses
after returning to PNG and joining the Language and Literature
Department of UPNG.
In 1994 he won the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship and
MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, which allowed him to attend the
University of Minnesota where he took on PhD studies in English
in 1997.
Steven returned home, worked on his dissertation until he
returned to Minnesota in 1998, sat for his Final Oral Defence
Examination and defended it successfully.
He graduated with his PhD in absentia in August 1998.
Steven returned as Dr Winduo to UPNG and taught Literature at
UPNG. In 2002 when the Melanesian and Pacific Studies (MAPS)
research centre was established, he became Foundation Director.
Last year he won the Macmillan Brown Research Scholarship and
spent six months as Research Scholar with the Macmillan Brown
Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury.
He completed a book during this time on Indigenous Knowledge of
Medicinal Plants and Biolinguistic Diversity in PNG.
He was Coordinator of the Oceania Future Forum, sponsored by the
Japan Foundation in Tokyo, Japan at the Waseda Hoshien Christian
University.
Dr Winduo was also a guest lecturer between March and April,
2007 on board the Oceanic Discoverer, a tourist boat.
He combined teaching, writing and research in his field of
expertise.
"I had set myself very clear goals in my early life and worked
hard to achieve them," Dr Winduo said.
While at UPNG, he knew where he was going and what he needed to
do to get what he had set out to do.
The longer he stayed in the university system; he realized that
he could do many things and achieve them in his field if he had
enough commitment.
Dr Winduo said: "It means I have to work hard to be the best in
my field."
Steven is married to Christine from Sudest Island, Milne Bay
province.
They have three children Daphne 21, Cheryl 11 and Langston
Hughes Jr, nine.
Christine is the UPNG Registrar's secretary, Daphne is doing her
Certificate in Tertiary Studies (CTS) at UPNG Open College and
Cheryl and Langston attend the Waigani primary school.
 
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