International visitors keen to establish links with UNRE

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Professor Warren (second left) with the visitors. From left to right they are: Sven Batke,
Thom Dallimore, Lorena Fernadez-Martinez, Emma Dumbill (Edge Hill University);
Professor Rolf Mueller (Virginia Tech) and Jin-Ping Han (IBM TJ Watson Research Centre)

PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment on Monday welcomed academics and researchers from Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom and Virginia Tech University in the United States of America.
The visitors will spend about two weeks at the university liaising with staff and students to find collaborative links that will be of mutual benefit to their institutions and UNRE. These include possible staff and student exchange programs in future.
University Vice Chancellor Professor John Warren when welcoming the team said compared to other universities, UNRE is unique for a number of reasons.
Firstly, because its natural resources focus gives it an advantage that none of other universities have; and secondly, because it is the only university without a fence.
He said this indicates that the people are friendly and the University is located in one of the safest provinces of the country.
“The environment is conducive. That attracts other people from around the world to come to do study in trying to protect and value the natural resources that we have,” said the VC.
He proudly announced that the University for the last three years has been working well to address recommendations of the 2013 External Audit report.
He said a lot of time and effort had gone in to improve academic programs and this has raised the University’s academic standard.
Citing an example he said previously the academic performance of students were not consistent through all modules.
“A good student might only do well in one module but not others. This now has been improved and good students are performing well across all modules,” he said.
Professor Warren also announced that for the first time last week UNRE appeared on the World’s University League Table.
He said the number of PhD staff at the campus have also doubled over the last three years.
It is the unique biodiversity of Papua New Guinea that compelled the visitors to reach out to UNRE for possible collaborative links.
Lecturer Sven Batke from Edge Hill University said they hope to see some good study sites and come up with good ideas on how Edge Hill can work closely with UNRE on collaborating projects.
Professor Rolf Muller from Virginia Tech University in the United States said his research is based on Bio-inspiration, which means looking at natural system and coming up with an idea for engineering.
His current study is on bats.
Professor Muller presented an informative and inspirational talk on Bio-inspiration Designs to a packed audience at the Kokopo Science Café on Monday evening.

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