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42 graduates pausing after receiving their
Certificates in Biodiversity Conservation with
the DPM Hon. Davis Steven, UPNGs
Vice Chancellor
Professor Frank Griffins, Professor Simon Saulei
head of
Biology Division, Mrs Beatice Waiin
- Deputy Dean (Academic) and now
A/
Executive Dean, and Dr. Jane Mogina
representing ExxonMobil, PNG at the UPNG’s
Drill Hall. Picture by Liberty
Betuel
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By WENCESLAUS MAGUN
There is so much work to inform, educate, empower, manage and
sustainably use our natural resources but the workers are few.
Deputy Prime Minister Davis Steven highlighted this fact at
the second graduation of UPNG’s Certificate program on Biodiversity
Conservation at the UPNG’s Drill Hall on Friday 20, December, as guest speaker
for 42 community based conservation practitioners from all over Papua New
Guinea including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The first batch of graduates under this program was held in
late 2017 with an enrolment of 24 trainees.
These graduates have graduated with UPNG certified Certificates approved
by the University Senate and the Council.
Mr. Davis also emphasised the need for Policies and Laws to
be developed and used as guiding principles that are fundamentally important to
govern our nation.
In congratulating the students for completing their three
weeks intensive course on Biodiversity Conservation, he stressed the important
role Policy and Law play in managing our country’s natural resources, our
economy, society, cultures, politics and infrastructure development.
He further thanked UPNG for its leadership and
responsibility to train the 42 students despite their limitations.
Mr. Davis pointed out that this training is a step forward in
addressing the challenges school leavers face in pursuit for further studies.
“The education system is developed for the exclusive
intelligent people. Our landowners are
already educated with traditional knowledge.
But we need to be re-educated with the scientific knowledge and skills
to compliment what we already know. There
is lack of scientific knowledge. Many of us just need basic knowledge. This
course is therefore important and relevant,” he reiterated.
UPNGs Vice Chancellor Professor Frank Griffins added that,
this program marks an important milestone for the University’s outreach work in
reaching out to educate and train our people not only through their normal
Diploma, Degree and Postgraduate programs, but at a certificate level for people
who could not make it to the University.
“Our certificate program in biodiversity conservation is a
practical skills based program and comprises three modules: 1) The Establishment and Management of
Community Organisation; 2) Marine Biodiversity Conservation; and 3) Terrestrial
Biodiversity Conservation,” he said.
The 42 graduands have just completed Marine Biodiversity and
Terrestrial Conservation training.
Prof. Griffins said the University has realised the need to
contribute towards the government’s drive to conserve and utilize its great
natural capital in biodiversity through capacity building. In 2001 they identified: Participatory
Project Planning and Design; Conservation Areas Management; Organisational Strengthening;
and Development of Delivery of Course consisting of Modules.
He said: “These were then expended into workable training
modules under the Strengthening Conservation Capacity Project (SCCP) funded by
MacArthur Foundation over a 9-year period.”
Key modules developed under SCCP included:
·
Biodiversity Conservation Policy and Law;
·
Protected Area Establishment and Management;
·
Organisational Establishment and Management;
·
Fund Raising and Proposal Writing;
·
Economics of Biodiversity Conservation and
Ecosystem Services; Public Education; and Community Engagement and
Participation.
With support from Mama Graun Conservation Trust Fund and
Exxon Mobil under its Biodiversity Offset program since 2016, the University
through its Division of Biological Sciences established a Centre dedicated to
Biodiversity Conservation studies and Research at UPNG.
“This then set the scene for the establishment of
Biodiversity Conservation program dedicated to Biodiversity Conservation
studies and Research to be included in a degree program as well as a
certificate program for the University’s community outreach,” said Prof
Griffins.
“By training the Stakeholders through the Certificate
Program,” Prof Griffins said, “the University aims to address long-term sustainability
of biodiversity conservation at Community Level.”
He pointed out that there is also a plan to develop a
bridging Program – a diploma and degree programs in Science through this
Biodiversity Conservation Program. This
will enable people wanting to earn a University degree but were unfortunate not
to do so because of lack of space or through the entry selection processes.
Furthermore, Prof. Griffins said, in 2017 the School of
Natural and Physical Sciences through the Division of Biological Sciences
established the Centre of Biological Conservation and Natural Products and also
incorporate training programs. This
included: a year-long coursework for Post Graduate Degree in Science (PGDSc)
and Honours with a minor thesis and a two year Masters in Science Program by
Research in this area of study.
He said in 2018 the PGDSc by coursework and MSc by research
were initiated with the enrolment of 12 PGDSc students. These students have graduated earlier this
year. Four MSc students will continuing
their program and should complete their studies and graduate in 2020.
To achieve this objective, maintain its current programs and
develop new ones, Prof Griffin highlighted the need for partnership and
collaboration.
He said to mount these teaching and learning programs as
well as research and development the University needs one additional academic
and two technical staff to add to the two academic staff and one technician who
are being supported by Mama Graun/Exxon Mobil biodiversity offset commitment.
Prof. Griffins called on the Government and relevant
stakeholders to support UPNG so it can fund its research.
“Such partnership should: Address the needs of the country
and its institutions; be transparent and on equal footings; projects developed
must be locally conceptualised or initiated, driven and managed; must produce
results that are relevant to our local setting and also contribute to the body
of knowledge; and outputs have local meanings and can be customized to local
situations for implementation,” stressed Prof Griffins.
Dr. Jane Mogina a former lecturer at UPNG, currently a senior
biodiversity advisor to ExxonMobil PNG said the objective for supporting this
capacity building program is to ensure that communities are empowered to do
conservation on their own land.
“In 2017 I was there to witness the first graduands under
this sponsorship program. I was so proud
to see them graduate back then and am still proud today. We hope this course gives you the tools so
you keep doing what you are doing. What
you do at the community level is very critical for biodiversity conservation,”
she said.
She thanked Prof. Simon Saulei and his team of staff for
making time available to train the graduands instead of going on leave or
taking this time to do research.
Dr. Mogina challenged the graduands to influence their
leaders to ride on this wave and to support community conservation efforts just
like what the DPM Mr Stevens is doing in Esa’ala District in Milne Bay Province.
Speaking on behalf of the 42 graduands, Daina Budia, 59,
single mother, with four children, from the Ga’ida, clan, Kadawarubi Tribe, of
Tureture village, in Kiwai LLG, South Fly District, Western Province, called on
all stakeholders particularly the corporate entities, local MPs, provincial
governments, and relevant government departments to join Exxon Mobil in funding
community based Biodiversity Conservation projects managed and driven by local
communities.
Unless this is done the gap to find more workers to achieve
Biodiversity Conservation outcomes in PNG will be just talk without action.
Present at the graduation ceremony were Prof. Simon
Saulei head of Biology Division with his staff who ran the training – Mr. Pius
Piskaut, Mr. John Genolagani, Mr. Alfred Ko’ou, and Mr. Robin Totome. Others included
important dignitaries Mrs Beatice Waiin- Deputy Dean (Academic) and now A/
Executive Dean, and Dr. Jane Mogina representing ExxonMobil PNG. They were joined by other UPNG staff,
representatives from CEPA, JICA, Dr. Jeffrey Noro and his wife, Mama Graun’s
executive director, Paul Lokani, Mr. Damien Ase who co-authored the Protected
Area Bill 2014 with Dr/former Judge Brian Brunton, and relatives of the
graduands.
