A national university has celebrated 19 years of its existence and service to higher education.
Divine Word University (DWU) celebrated this milestone during its Foundation Day morning devotion at the DWU Chapel on Friday 21st of August.
Keynote speaker and retired chairman of the Commission of the Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Simon Kenehe said, the university was a private Catholic education institute which had secured a national character and had strived to make its impact felt nationally and internationally.
He said the university had not been deterred to hold back untested ideas and attributed one such idea to voluntarily avail itself for external audit by External Assessors in 2011, making it the first PNG University to do so.
Acting President Professor Pamela Norman said although the DWU foundation dated back to 38 years ago when the former Catholic high school became Divine Word Institute, it was on 21st of August 1996 when it was recognised as a university.
Prof Norman acknowledged those who had contributed in the past and present and said that all their efforts had contributed to what the DWU is like today.
Meanwhile during the annual Foundation Day celebration, one significant event that occurs on the occasion is the announcement of the DWU Media Excellence Award in which PNG journalists’ contributions to development are recognised. They are recognised through their reporting.
This year, Mr. Fidelis Sukina was awarded under the category of Television Broadcast. He was chosen because his stories aimed to advocate and encourage the younger generation to value nationality, community engagement and quality education. He was also recognized for his contribution to the recent Pacific Games.
The Foundation Day celebrations ended with the official opening of the Cultural Day celebrations in the evening in which the Republic of Korean Ambassador to PNG Kim Seong– Choon was the official keynote speaker.
Divine Word University is a national university, open to all, serving the society through its quality of research, teaching, learning and community service.
By ELLIOT DAWEA
Divine Word University
In Madang
