Institutions merge to form newly launched Lutheran uni

By JACINTA COHLEE
THE Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG) launched the Lutheran University last Thursday at the church’s headquarters at Ampo in Lae, Morobe.
The newly launched university is a merger of three Lutheran institutions in the country: Balob Teachers College in Lae, Martin Luther Seminary in Lae and the Madang Lutheran School of Nursing.
The university’s first faculties will be guided by the institutions.
The faculties are: education (Balob Teachers College), theology (Martin Luther Seminary), and health and medicine (Madang Lutheran School of Nursing).
Martin Luther Seminary principal Rev Michael Wan Rupulga said the three institutions would rearrange their courses to meet the requirements of the Department Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.
“University will start with the courses applied in the three institutions,” he said.
“The objective of the institutions will not change and will be maintained in the university.”
ELCPNG general-secretary Bernard Kaisom said after merger there would be an extension of campuses in the church’s 17 districts across the country.
“The idea is to establish satellite campuses in the district so that students do not need to come to a centralised location,” he said.
“It (the university) will be more convenient for the students because they will be in their respective areas.”
Its first batch of students will graduate this year.
Application forms for new intakes for 2023 can be found online.