Vice chancellor challenges students

KIS visit: UNRE Vice Chancellor Prof Philip Siaguru with students of Kimbe International School

Students graduating with an undergraduate diploma or bachelor degree from a university must not think that it is the end of the road.

This was a challenge issued by University of Natural Resources & Environment (UNRE) vice chancellor Prof Philip Siaguru to Grade 12 students of Kimbe International School (KIS) last Monday.

Prof Siaguru said most students thought that getting an undergraduate diploma and degree was the pinnacle of university studies.

“That is not true. At a university there are six more steps to go to reach the highest level of educational qualification,” said Prof Siaguru.

He said after receiving an undergraduate diploma or a bachelor degree which takes about 2-3years and 4-5years respectively, the other types of qualifications include:

·        Honours degree (1-2years);

·        Post-graduate diploma (1-2years);

·        Masters degree (1-2years);

·        Doctorate of Philosophy by research (4-5years);

·        Doctorate of Science by publication (depends on individual commitment); and

·        Professorship by research and publication (depends on individual commitment).

He added that those goals depended on their full commitment and focus on their studies and challenged them to achieve post-graduate qualifications.

Prof Siaguru, who is an avid campaigner of the sustainable use and management of Papua New Guinea’s natural resources, encouraged the students to seriously think of choosing careers in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism.

Speaking bluntly, he said, “Some of you are probably thinking of becoming accountants and lawyers but I can tell you quite honestly that there is a limited market for those skills. You will be making more of a difference for your country, yourselves and your children if you choose a career in agriculture, fisheries and marine resources, forestry or even tourism.

“We are now enjoying the benefits of our non-renewable resources but these will run out one day and if we don’t sustainably manage our natural resources now, we will be in serious trouble in the future.”

Stressing his point, the vice chancellor said: “When the economies of almost every country in the world were falling the PNG Kina remained stable. Why? Was this because of the revenue generated from our mines and oil fields? Was this because we had enough saved in foreign reserves?

“No. We survived because of our coffee, our cocoa, our oil palm, our tea, our balsa, our barramundi, our tuna, our beche-de-mer and our other renewable natural resources.”

Prof Siaguru warned that while the country would make millions of kna from the liquefied natural gas project, if the money was not put into sustainably managing the country’s natural renewable resources, PNG could end up as destitute as Nauru, a country which once boasted the second-highest per capita GDP in the world because of its phosphate mines.

“If we do not manage our natural renewable resources sustainably, 30 or even 20 years from now, we will be classified as an economically failed state. Look at what happened to Nauru. Its people became rich almost overnight from their phosphate mines but they did not plan for their future. Their economy is now in deep crisis,” he said.

Prof Siaguru said this was also why the students had to understand and embrace the Government’s Vision 2050 and its seven pillars now.

“Ten to 20 years from now, you will be in the driving seat of this Government initiative, that is why you must make it your business to understand it now,” he said.

Prof Siaguru left the students with a Red Indian philosophy that he learnt while in Seattle in the United States.

“In PNG we are very proud of the fact that we own about 97%of the land. The Red Indian philosophy is different. They believe the land owns them, they are only custodians. So while they have the use of the land, they use it wisely so that the next generation also benefits from it,” he said.

Prof Siaguru’s presentation was welcomed by KIS teacher Genevieve Lavei, who said it was good for the students to hear facts about their country and make decisions that would benefit not only themselves but PNG as a whole.

“The presentation really opened the students’ minds. They came here to learn about courses offered by the university that will benefit themselves as individuals but are leaving with a sense of duty for their country because they now know that its future depends on them and the choices they make today,” she said.

Mrs Lavai said she wished all students in the country had the opportunity to listen to Prof Siaguru’s “straight talking” presentation.

“Many young people do not think much about the effects of mining or the importance of managing natural resources and even Vision 2050 because they think these are issues for older citizens to worry about, but this presentation has shown us that young people have a very important role to play in achieving a healthy, wealthy, smart and happy society,” she said.

Mrs Lavei also thanked Prof Siaguru for donating two copies of Vision 2050 to the school’s library.