The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neill, has praised Christian Churches in Papua New Guinea for their role in the development of the country.
Speaking at the Divine Word University’s 32nd Graduation ceremony on Sunday 3rd March O’Neill said that Churches have contributed significantly to the development of PNG particularly in the areas of Health and Education.
“Where will our country be, without the work of our Churches,” he said.
Acknowledging that the government had limitations, the Prime Minister said that the churches were able to provide services to the people mainly in the rural areas.
The Catholic Church along with other Christian Churches runs many Aid posts and Health centres and schools including Divine Word University.
The Chairman of the DWU graduation committee, Mr. Ted Alau, said that over 680 students graduated at the Madang campus.
He added that this is in addition to those who graduated from other institutions that are either amalgamated or affiliated to DWU late last year, bringing the total to 1694 graduates receiving DWU awards.
Graduating with PhD degrees will be high school teacher-turned-teachers college administrator, Stephen Qualum Potek and DWU lecturer in Information Systems, Iwona Kolodziejczyk. Mr Potek, from Manus Province will be graduating under the Faculty of Education while Ms Kolodziejczyk from Poland will do so through the Faculty of Arts.
They join the DWU’s pioneer PhD graduates, Dr Bernadette Aihi and Dr Paul Pasingan, who were bestowed their doctorates at the 2011 graduation.
The graduation ceremony will also produce the first graduates from the Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) and Bachelor of Mathematics and Computing Science programs. The MPA which is administered by DWU’s Port Moresby Campus will see three students graduate while the Mathematics and Computing Science program will have nine students graduating.
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