Divine Word University receives external audit report

THE Divine World University (DWU) Council was yesterday presented an external audit report on the university’s operations and direction, the first university in the country to undergo such a process.
Dr Jeanette Baird, the team leader of the auditing panel, will be presenting the report to each faculty and the university’s administrative departments over the next few days.
A statement from university president Fr Jan Czuba’s office said: “In the 21st century, much discussion is around the impact of marketing and globalisation on higher education and the challenges it has caused to the quality of academic programmes and student identity.
“Universities in Papua New Guinea are not free from those challenges. 
“The context and educational landscape of higher education in PNG and Vision 2050 makes a historical call on all of PNG’s universities to respond to those challenges by enhancing the quality of education, to seriously review the relationship between research, teaching and learning and to be more publicly accountable.
“Considering the extent of these concerns over its future, DWU responded by opening its door to an independent external academic audit conducted by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency from Australia earlier this year.
“DWU is the first university in PNG, which voluntarily went through the external academic audit.
 “It is my belief that DWU or any other university has to demonstrate a system of accountability, as an accountability culture is necessary and it is the frontrunner for development of the culture of quality in research, teaching and learning.
“It is my personal view that no university is immune from public accountability.        
“The audit report reconfirmed the right direction DWU is heading in.
“It reconfirmed DWU’s vision that higher education is a public good that delivers social, economic and cultural development, the university care and trust for its students and staff, which forms the educational context at DWU.
“The DWU academic community looks forward to receive all recommendations, which will provide constructive solutions to existing challenges at the university.
“The knowledge gained from the audit will be put to good use.
“It will be used to enhance the quality of research, teaching, learning and community engagement at the university.”