University team visits city site

UNIVERSITY of Goroka council members have visited a 365-hectare piece of land upon which the university city will sit.
The land is located outside Goroka, in Menifo in the Bena valley, and shares borders with the Lufa and Ungai Bena Districts of Eastern Highlands .
The site was previously the Menifo agriculture research station.
The university is taking it over after the signing of an agreement with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), in Goroka, and Lands and Physical Planning.
The expansion of the campus is part of the University of Goroka’s 20-year plan.
Those who visited the site were university chancellor Joseph Sukwainomb, vice-chancellor Professor Musawe Sinebare, registrar Gagau, and representatives from the Department of Education Research Science and Technology, DAL and other stakeholders.
Sinebare said the extension of the university would address the space and congestion problems at the current campus. “This is a university of the state of Papua New Guinea and we are filled with dreams and aspirations to see our university grow,” Sinebare said.
“We have shown the potential to grow but with the current infrastructure development at the campus we cannot grow any further although we have initiatives to grow because of the space congestion at the campus.”
Sinebare said the extension of the university is also expected to cater for other faculties and will contribute to rural development in the province.
Sukwainomb said funding is a big challenge and the assistance of the government, stakeholders and project partners are needed.
“The land itself is a blessing in many different ways and it will take time to develop over a period of time,” he said.
“The university is well connected by road to the Mamose and Highlands region and has the potential to grow and build the human resource capacity of the country as a state university, which the university is looking forward to.”