Uni not just teacher training institution, says Chancellor

THE University of Goroka (UoG) is not just a secondary school teacher training institution but also offers wider range of specialist programmes, says Chancellor Joseph Sukwianomb.
Sukwianomb made the remark recently at the signing of a memorandum of agreement to open a UoG campus in Wabag, Enga.
He said most people thought UoG only specialised in training secondary school teachers but they also ran separate specialist programmes such as mathematics and computer sciences, humanities, sciences (physics, chemistry and biology) as part of their education programmes.
He said UoG had an open college in Goroka that graduated students last month and the establishment of the university’s Enga campus would make their programmes accessible to youths of the province.
Sukwianomb said the university would run alongside with the Enga Teacher’s College and offer a four-year degree programme in specialised course such as biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and English by 2021 so that the quality of education was improved.
He said the university also included nursing programmes to establish a school of medicine and health sciences in Goroka.
He said with the construction and establishment of a nursing college in Enga, the UoG Enga campus could also look into establishing a school of medicine in the province.
He said the university was also looking into to providing a school of agro business and incubation centre to focus on agriculture and business programmes.
He said East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and UoG were in talks to run the Banik Agriculture College in Maprik to come under the UoG and eventually become a standalone university.
Sukwianomb said UoG was also looking into offering a school of science and technology including a school of medicine and health sciences with the Goroka Regional Hospital to be used as a teaching hospital in consultation with the provincial government, the Health Department and the Department of Higher Education, Science, Research and Technology.