Nabilah S
Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, has affirmed the government’s commitment to adequately finance the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) scholarship program. This pledge was made during a pre-departure luncheon on Friday, October 4, for 54 STEM students chosen to continue their education in China.
The group left for China last week and will undertake four years of study at Three Gorges University, focusing on various fields such as mechanical design, manufacturing and automation, electrical engineering and automation, new energy materials and devices, hydraulic engineering and water resources, and civil engineering.
Education Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra highlighted the expectations for the students during their time abroad, stating, “We are in the 21st century, and the jobs and the skills required for our country are not the same. Unless we develop this group of intelligent young people, our country will continue to depend on external labor.”
Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiaoguang encouraged the students to fully leverage their learning experiences in China, urging them to absorb knowledge from the country’s achievements and to bring their insights back to support Papua New Guinea’s development.
Officials from the Education Department confirmed that this group of 54 students represents the final cohort for the current year. Earlier, three students had already traveled to universities in the United States, India, and Fiji.
The government scholarship program encompasses tuition fees, airfares, and allowances for living expenses and books. In total, Papua New Guinea has sent 165 students abroad this year out of 311 STEM graduates, with 30 students heading to India, 76 to the United States, five to Fiji, and 54 to China.
