University to graduate 1,180

THE University of Papua New Guinea’s 56th graduation tomorrow will see its largest batch of graduates with higher degrees.
Almost 100 graduates will receive masters degrees in business, medicine, science and the arts while the other will pick up post graduate diplomas.
Among the 1,180 graduates will be two chief executive officers, provincial administrators, senior officers in the private and public sector and two doctors from Timor-Leste.
The graduation ceremony will be held in the Drill Hall at the Waigani campus.
The theme for this year’s graduation is “Bridging the gap between university and employer” and which recognises UPNG’s efforts to better network with industry the government and private sector.
A number of divisions run industrial attachment programmes and others have formed junior chapters as a means of keeping abreast with professionals in the fields.
Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Paru Aihi will be guest speaker in the morning session for graduates of the schools of medicine and health sciences and natural and physical sciences.
The guest speaker for the afternoon session will be Minister for Community Development Dame Carol Kidu.
The school of business administration will have the largest output of undergraduates with more than 340.
In humanities and social sciences, more than 260 will graduate with bachelor of arts degrees and another 90 with law degrees.
The school of medicine and Health Sciences will see 35 new doctors.
The two Timor-Leste doctors will be among 27 specialist graduates in master of medicine from the school of medicine and health sciences.
Dr Gaspar Perreira Quintao will graduate with a master of medicine in psychiatry, making him the first national specialist in this field, while his counterpart Dr Joao Pedro Da Costa Xavier will graduate with a master of medicine in surgery.
Both came to UPNG in 2006 and will return on Sunday.
On their return to Dili, they will work at the Dili national hospital.