Aii, pioneer par excellence

By ZACHERY PER
BETTY Newman Aii hails from an area devastated by the massive Feb 26 earthquake and ongoing tribal fighting in the Komo-Magarima district of Hela.
But the turmoil in her part of the world did not stop her from becoming the first student to be dux of the year with academic excellence in the newly introduced Bachelor of Business Accounting at the University of Goroka.
Her achievement was one of the highlights of the 21st annual graduation at the UOG on April 27.
“To come from a district riddled with tribal fighting and where girls are usually suppressed and given lower status than boys, I managed to get through all these odds and graduated with flying colours through my father’s advice.
“In my father’s family, I was the first to enter into a university and graduate with a degree, where I am now the pride of my family and they were very proud of my achievements,” Aii said.
She thanked her father James Pakana Aii, elder brother Henry Aii and Jackson Yolem for the financial support and encouragements.
“I also thank my sponsors the West New Britain and Hela Provincial governments.
“Although the BBA is a newly introduced programme, the hard working lecturers of the Business Studies Division had contributed a lot into our studies. They tried their best to deliver to us the content knowledge that is equivalent to other universities, therefore on behalf of my pioneer group I thank them for their tireless efforts.
“I also particularly acknowledge Dean of Humanities, Sakaya Botu who initiated the programme with the help of senior lecturers Reilly Teteh and Kombra Kui, the head of department of Business Studies for having faith in us.
“I also acknowledge Professor Luis Alamil for his times with us, I remember him giving advice, challenges and encouragement for us every time before starting his classes,” Aii said.
The dux award sponsors, Certified Practicing Accountants PNG (CPA PNG) invited Betty to sit for a professional examination that will make her become a certified accountant and a member of CPA PNG.
“It was an amazing feeling, I feel great to graduate as a pioneer student under the Bachelor of Business Accounting programme and it’s a credit for me to be the dux of the programme and also the winner of the academic excellence award, which my families and sponsors are very proud of.”
She said the CPA PNG award made it possible for her to achieve her dream to become a professional accountant.
Upon passing the examination, she would become a certified practicing accountant and a member of CPA PNG.
Head of Department of Business Studies Kombra Kui said it was in 2012 that a section known as Commercial Studies within the Division of Social Science ventured into becoming a small section on its own, now known as the Division of Business Studies.
“It is now five years from the inception of the Division of Business Studies at UOG. This year is exciting as the standout year for Division of Business Studies, to offer students new content degree programmes in Bachelor of Business Accounting (BBA), Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) and Diploma in Business Studies (DipBs), with fully granted scholarships by Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST),” Kui said.
“We are offering a new research Executive Master of Leadership and Business Administration (EMLBA) programme which offers unique executive courses in blended mode, comprising of research and coursework for the duration of two years.”
He said the EMLBA programme courses have been selected and aligned to provide executive leadership need-based qualifications to those who are already managers or leaders in private and public sector organisations.
“The EMLBA programme is offered over a period of two years, all bachelor’s degree programmes are offered for the duration of four years. Our diploma programmes are designed and specifically aligned to lead students after successfully completing the diploma programme to specialised degree programmes in the respective disciplines for another two years.
“We are developing and establishing new partnerships with professional bodies and industries to create relationships to connect our students and the division with the market or industries. As head of division, I am delighted and proud to share the wonderful news that our new programmes are given recognition by CPA PNG which is a reputable professional body,” Kui said.
He said additionally, Steamships Group of Companies has undertaken to recruit their BBA and BBM graduates to participate in 2018 in their graduate programme as of next year for training and employment.
“We create similar relationships with other players in all sectors of the economy and through these partnerships we will aim to market our programmes and more importantly our graduates for training and employment opportunities,” Kui said.