University students to learn Japanese development studies

By Zina Koim
UNIVERSITY of Papua New Guinea students can learn more about Japan following the signing of an understanding with the Japanese International Corporation Agency (Jica).
This will be through Jica’s chair programme which they hope to expand to in PNG.
Jica chief representative Masato Koinuma said the programme aims to expand opportunities for Japanese development studies in various fields at universities in partner countries.
“Young Papua New Guineans can learn in this Jica chair programme about the experiences of Japan and can be a person to contribute a lot to the future of development of PNG”, he said.
Koinuma said UPNG was the first recipient of the programme in PNG and the Pacific region also.
He hopes for students to learn the experiences of Japan and contribute to PNG’s nation building in various ways.
UPNG Vice-Chancellor Prof Frank Griffin said the signing was to formalise the relationship and establishment of Jica chair within the framework of the university.
“It gives all the schools in the university the opportunity to open dialog to look at their own capacity building process where we can engage in our Japanese colleagues in Japan and our Japanese colleagues in Japan can engage here at the university,” he said.
Griffin said the university was delighted that part of programme would allow a joint collaboration not just in academic work but also research and courses that will take place across the Japan and PNG.
“We will have people to people contact and in that regard we will have benefits from both sides, the academic, researchers and students will explore ways in what they may be able to maximise what is contained in this agreement,” he said.
Griffin said once the agreement was signed, it would allow the two countries to participate in what was needed to be done to make it a formal, practical and an active agreement.
“There are many agreements that people signed, but when are not managed well, nothing happens,” he said.
“We want to be an active MOU where we will be able to see the activities that a prescribed at the first place but more specifically with time on what we have to do to benefit from this document.”
The Jica chair programme was done in February to May, this year and would continue next year and onwards.