Comments

Thanks for this helpful report. It is striking how low the enrolment rate is compared to other countries in the South Pacific. Here are some comments. 1. All the reviewers are from a Business management background. It would be helpful to have perspectives from humanities, social sciences, science, and engineering. 2. Although it is desirable to increase enrolment, this does not necessarily increase educational outcomes. Australia may have high enrolment levels but low student engagement. Anecdotal evidence is that attendance at lectures is now between 5 and 30 per cent of enrolment. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/19/teaching-to-an-empty-hall-is-the-changing-face-of-universities-eroding-standards-of-learning 2. There is an iron triangle of access, quality, and cost for education (and health care). If you change one, you change the others. For example, if you increase access but keep costs the same, quality inevitably decreases. https://doi.org/10.3200/CHNG.41.2.30-35 3. In the Majority World, unfortunately, increasing quality does not necessarily improve nation building due to the potential brain drain. Most graduates from elite institutions in South Asia take jobs with multinational companies in the West. 4. Public debate in PNG often promotes Christian values. How might these shape its vision for its public universities? I recently published a paper, "What is a university for? A Christian vision for the modern secular university". You can access it here https://revelation4-11.blogspot.com/2026/05/what-is-university-for.html Thanks again for initiating this important discussion.

Hi Maho, sorry but the only way of getting violence data pre-2020 is by individually collecting it from newspapers.

I love this Gordon! I have accrued an odd assortment of merch as much from police services and CSOs around the world as from aid programs and am always fascinated by the supply chains that lie behind them. (Imagine an evaluation examining the climate and labour implications of all those shirts and caps and water bottles...). My pen holder is a mug from the Bangladesh Police Women and Children's Unit which quickly cracked after receiving it some 12 years ago but has worked well as a pen holder ever since. If the impacts of Australia's aid merch are anything similar, I can't say it makes me think more fondly of Bangladesh, but it does routinely remind me of its failed attempt to serve its intended purpose and its still nonetheless valuable re-purposing ... which might actually be a good parallel for all the money spent on attempts to buy goodwill through stuff.

No merchandise is much better than trash materials that signal all the wrong messages. It becomes culture when having the right collateral signals belonging, pride, professionalism and the role of giver. Co-branding signals affiliation and can confer a reflected shine on the partnership. As a communication consultant I have been asked to design everything from brochures and banners to cards and caps. Asking "What will be different if you have these?" is often met with a blank stare. Usually without plans for dissemination, evaluation metrics are only reported in number produced, no matter how many go from printer to trash. Impact metrics could include answers to questions such as "How did you hear about us?", "What inspired trust in our program?" and "What attracted you to partner in this project?". If the answer is a cap, shirt or poster, the item proved its worth.

Paiela-Hewa LLG has been drowning into darkness before the youngest MP came into appearance and now the missing link has been connected to bring back Kolombi station to light.

How about the graduate survey carried out since 2019?

Thanks for the opportunity to say farewell to a good friend and mentor Nicole. We were blessed to have Ron beside us, and blessed most were those closest to him - i.e.; Rita, Rod, Rachel, and of course you!

Logging, have no impact with in the landowners, in spreading infrastructure developments, like upgrading, schools, health and churches. We all have the fast experiences in mind on Wawoi,Gavin logging operations and majority of the landowners from Kamula Doso, block 1,2 and 3 we support Mayur Resources for Carbon projects with in KD block 1,2 and 3 concession area.

Dietary requirements for instant noodles based on serving per 100g or any other metric specifically assume a per person basis, and I wonder if the consumption rate per person was measured. In my experience (Lae based, home of Maggie noodles!), very few people would cook up and consume an entire packet of noodles on their own, unless they're very hungry and, for low wage labourers, by that time they probably need the energy hit. You may have found out otherwise. A simple nightly family meal (the big daily intake, at least for Lae low wage folks) may also consist of one or, if koblere permits, two packets of noodles boiled with aibika (high cost/density), pumpkin tips or choko tips (low cost/density) so, I assume that noodles nutrition would be divided by number of plates per household member (say 3-7). Again, it's been my experience that most people have an aversion for Maggie noodles alone because it is too salty and there is a common perception that it is fattening. Otherwise, the local product is a very valuable contribution to household nutrition if used appropriately. The "poorest" meal I've heard described was "kumu, olsem lip sako nating wantaim Maggie noodles long grisim", for a family of seven. Sounds like bordering on vegetarian to me and not half bad nutritionally if they threw in an egg or two. I don't know if that would be the case in Port Moresby too.

While commending the team for providing such a comprehensive and thought-provoking review of the tertiary education landscape in PNG. Drawing on the insights presented, I would like to ask few questions: 1. While the study identifies a "gendered imbalance in access" as a critical challenge, it would be highly informative to further explore the "specific cultural and physical drivers of this disparity". It will enable us to answer very important questions like: can administrative reforms like the "online selection systems" truly bridge the gap if the primary barriers to female enrolment are rooted in safety concerns or traditional family priorities rather than just the selection process itself? 2. The push for digital learning and e-learning platforms is a forward-thinking recommendation. However, without massive, parallel investment in national telecommunications and power grids, there is a significant risk that these models will inadvertently exclude the rural population and worsen the existing rural-urban divide. 3. While the study rightly recommends "merit-based appointments" to address "weak governance," the research is relatively silent on the external political pressures that often create these governance issues. It would be valuable to critique the role of political patronage and the influence of provincial governments on institutional management, particularly in the context of newly established institutions.

All views are very informative. In all of this talk of wealth a real concern is the authoritarian-type regime and accompaniment of a ministerial-heavy parliament. My greatest worry in all this overwhelming talk of wealth is the state of this land, development and customary ownership. We are people of the land. Rehabilitation of this land is in tandem with our physical, health and spiritual rehabilitation after a century of degradation and continuing degadation of our land and our dignity. It is now some 40 years since the call for rehabilitation and so far it is a dying call that those in successive power are skirting. With further delay is the real fear that by then (whenever), when we no longer exist, our childten and their children etc will not know what tbeir customary land is. While waiting for rehab to happen, and for the sake of our children that they are apprised of their true land legacy, that the country undertakes a land review/ consultation that informs and educates the children of today of their land rights. Keep your cash and I keep my land.

Interesting read.