UPNG to be overhauled for Pacific Games

UNIVERSITY of Papua New Guinea’s (UPNG) Waigani campus will be  overhauled in preparations for the Pacific Games 2015.
As the venue for the games, 10 halls to house 3,000 people will be built on the campus together with seven international standard sports facilities on UPNG’s existing fields.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Ross Hynes said: “There are big changes in the pipeline for the university with major projects being initiated.
“Some of the projects include a broadband network, substantial upgrading of the university’s information technology systems and a bookshop outlet while new crucial infrastructure in buildings and new sports fields are also in the pipeline.”
Prof Hynes said a positive response was received from a big Chinese construction company’s senior representatives.
“The Treasury and Finance Minister has signed the terms and conditions of the concession loan,” he said.
Prof Hynes said at UPNG’s 55th graduation last Friday that institutional housing would commence in the next few weeks.
Gerehu phase one comprises of 16 new institutional houses on university land and 24 units at Taurama.
“Two sports fields will be refurbished and five new sports fields will be constructed to serve major sports, the university and communities.
“Infrastructure rehabilitation projects have addressed much needed rehabilitation … in 2008, the focus was on lecture rooms, laboratories, residential halls, institutional housing and essential capital equipment.
“These were funded by the Government and coordinated through the office of higher education.
“While we recognise we have great challenges, UPNG is beginning to make progress in key result areas of the UPNG strategic plan,” he said.
Prof Hynes said student numbers were growing each year, with the number of graduates spreading across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
“Standards are improving in most areas and this is consistent with our philosophy of continuous improvement and good governance,” he said.
He said the games and the Government had directly and indirectly rehabilitated UPNG’s 43-year-old facilities.