Lecturer: Human resources vital
The National, Monday 08th April, 2013
By CARMELLA GWARE
WITH the predicted closures of Ok Tedi mine in 2032 and of Porgera mine in 2025, more attention on growing the country’s human resource will be needed.
University of Papua New Guinea’s tourism and hospitality lecturer Alphonse Hayabe said this during a farewell event hosted by the Embassy of Japan in honour of four research students who will be travelling to Japan this year under the Japanese government scholarship programme.
“I am grateful to the Japanese government for their continuous support and I encourage scholarship recipients to remember that they have obligations to fulfill and we must somehow repay by continually promoting relationships between Japan and PNG in our own little ways.”
Ambassador Hiroharu Iwasaki said more than 150 Papua New Guineans have been through this scholarship and many have returned with great knowledge and experience, enabling them to play important roles in the ‘/development of this country.
The 2012 scholarship recipients are: Joe Tarutia – University of Fukui Graduate School of Engineering. He will be studying electrical and electronics engineering from October 2013 to March 2015; Betty Peter – Kobe University Graduate School of Agricultural Science for both Japanese preparatory and advanced education from April 2013 to March 2015; Conscilliah Menda – Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine for Japanese preparatory and advanced education from April 2013 to March 2015; and Joe Parak – Kyushu University Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering from October 2013 to March 2015.
Iwasaki said 80 students will be invited to study in Japan this year as an initiative to encourage more visitors into Japan.
“About 3,500 Japanese visit PNG every year but only 500 Papua New Guineans visit Japan.
“As this reception is also the annual gathering for members of Japan Ryugakusei Association (JARA), I would like to thank each member for contributing to the friendly relationship existing between the people of Japan and PNG.”