SELECTION of Papua New Guinea Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) students to study abroad is done on merit and students are taken from right across the country, says Education Department secretary Dr Uke Kombra.
He made this known on Sunday in Port Moresby when speaking during the farewell ceremony of 76 Stem students who will be going to the United States of (US) for their studies at three universities there.
 |
| STEM Student Selection Based on Merit, Says PNG Education Secretary |
“Our Government and the Education Department have made the Stem policy purely on merit, and it is not a programme for rich, or well-to-do, parents. We have no classification, we are purely getting students on merit,” Kombra said.
He said as long as students had talent and were able to work hard, it was an opportunity, and the Government and the department were here to make anybody, somebody.
Kombra said in 2022, they sent 43 students to the two universities in US and they had performed well. And this year, they were sending about 161 students to different countries.
“About 50 students will be going to China, 76 are going to the US which include a good number of females, two weeks ago we sent 30 to India and we are in the process of sending five students to Fiji to take up pilot training,” he said.
“In the group that we sent to India a few weeks ago, were some students who will take courses like artificial intelligence.”
Kombra said for the students going to the US, their field of studies included aerospace engineering, data science, agriculture and bioscience, civil engineering, computer and information science, electronic engineering, flight instructions, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical laboratory science, physics, marine biology and petroleum technology.
He said 15 of the 76 students would be going to North Dakota University, 12 to State University of Naples, and 49 to South Dakota University.
“These students who are going now are in full government scholarship and we will spend over K20 million, covering the tuition fees, airfares, boarding and lodging, book allowances and everything,” Kombra said.
Kombra called on parents to continue to provide moral support and other necessary support to their children while they were there.
“Our students who have gone last year have performed well, and they have set the benchmark for the students who are going this year,” he told the recipients.
“So at all times, you must know and show who are.
“You are a child of God and Papua New Guinea, you’re an ambassador, so serve and represent your country.”
Also read