SOLOMON Islands’ national university is on.
It will begin with a medical faculty to be attached to Kilu’ufi Hospital on Malaita, where construction work has begun on a block of units to be used as dormitory for up to 20 students, highly placed sources have confirmed.
The Minister for Education and Human Resources Development, Matthew Wale, was last week on his way to Europe where he was due to hold discussions with the United Kingdom’s Cambridge University which, in principle, has agreed to collaborate with the Solomon Islands Government on the national university project.
James Cook University in Townsville, in far north Queensland, Australia has also agreed in principle to assist in teaching tropical medicine.
Mr Wale was tight-lipped about the project, when asked about it in flight last week.
All he managed to say was that an announcement would be made in an “appropriate time”.
Sources said the medical faculty would have 20 students – 15 from Solomon Islands and the balance would be reserved for regional students.
At least four professors will take up teaching positions on a rotating basis. Some will be drawn from Cuba, others will come from Cambridge and James Cook University.
In any one year, up to 12 professors on furlough or sabbatical from their own universities could be teaching at the medical faculty.
The idea of starting with a medical faculty is to counter the shortage of doctors being experienced in the country, one official said.
At the same time, the programme is intended to complement the number of students being trained in Cuban medical schools.
“Cuba has the best medical schools in the world. We shall be drawing from their knowledge and expertise,” the source said.
The source said the links with Cambridge University and James Cook University would make for a perfect institution.
At least two unnamed donors have indicated their willingness to finance the medical faculty, which could be running by the end of the year if all goes.
By ALFRED SASAKO
in Brisbane
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