Governor welcomes new VC

National

NEWLY– appointed PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment Vice-Chancellor Prof John Warren arrived in East New Britain last week, welcome by a small crowd at Tokua Airport.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Samson Laup was at the airport with staff members. Warren was accompanied by his wife Cathryn.
The Warrens met ENB Governor Ereman ToBaining Jr and an official welcome is scheduled at campus today.
Dr Warren was at the Aberystwyth University in Wales as professor of Botany and director of Learning and Teaching at the University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences.
He was responsible for 25 undergraduate degree programmes, 1300 students, 75 members of the staff and managed an annual budget of £17 million (K69 million).
Dr Warren taught modules including food farming and the environment and agri-environment.
Formerly a cocoa breeder, he worked on the world chocolate gene bank at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad from 1990 to 1993.
As head of genetics and plant breeding at the university’s cocoa research unit, Dr Warren’s responsibilities included genetic finger-printing of the world cocoa gene-bank, initiating genetic research based around the resource.
He had also taught genetics and evolution within the Botany Department.