Unitech dept renews ties with OTDF

THE Papua New Guinea University of Technology’s department of open and distance learning (DODL) has renewed its three-year partnership with Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).
OTDF and Unitech signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to renew their partnership for the next three years.
OTDF chief executive officer Havini Vira said the not-for-profit organisation partnered with the university’s DODL to give a second chance to students who could not make it into tertiary institutions.
“We’re doing the partnership to give a second chance to these students to further their education,” he said.
“OTDF is like a conduit through which DODL passes to ensure that our students at the province are given an opportunity to further or to address their educational needs.”
Vira said the programme targeted Grade 12 students who intended to upgrade their grades to be eligible to be accepted into an institution.
OTDF programme services executive manager Eric Kuman said the organisation had decentralised its Flexible Open Distance Education (Fode) and adult matriculation to three districts of Western by establishing satellite study centres.
“We have about 500 adult matriculation upgraders enrolled almost every year,” he said.
“This is the number of students who are under the DODL Unitech programme, so we are here to sign the MoU and continue with that.”