PNG UNRE News

The Council of PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment has approved the establishment of a new ocean and climate research institute. This was announced by Acting Chancellor Mr Martin Maden in a memo to all staff last week. The Momis Ocean and Climate Research Institute will focus on ocean systems, climate change impacts, sea-level rise, coral bleaching and marine ecosystems.  It is named in honour of UNRE Chancellor Chief Dr John Momis, recognising his longstanding contribution to environmental protection, governance and national development. UNRE Chancellor Chief Dr John Momis. Mr Maden said Chief Dr Momis, 83, is a senior statesman and one of the principal architects of Papua New Guinea’s Constitution.  As a former member of the Constitutional Planning Committee, he played a key role in embedding environmental protection and sustainable resource use within the Constitution’s Fourth National Goal and Directive Principles. Born in Salamaua in Morobe Province to a B...

Notice to Students, Parents and Sponsors Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment advises students, parents, sponsors and stakeholders that the 2026 School Fees Structure is now available. 👉 Click here to view or download the PDF copy of the 2026 PNG UNRE School Fees Structure Important Notes The fees listed apply to the 2026 academic year . Students are advised to read the document carefully and pay close attention to the Notes and Important Dates. Any updates or amendments will be communicated through official University channels. Enquiries For further information, please contact: Academic & Student Administration Office 📧 studentadmin@unre.ac.pg

Mr Alex Nona. W hen Alex Nona arrived at Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (PNG UNRE) as the new Human Resources Manager, he stepped into a role central to any institution’s stability and long-term growth — managing its people. With more than a decade of human resource experience across the private sector and higher education, he brought both technical expertise and a reform-minded outlook to a university entering a critical period of expansion and transformation. Mr Nona’s story begins far from administrative offices and policy manuals. He comes from a remote community in the upland areas of the Markham District in Morobe Province. He attended Numbugu Community School before progressing to Markham Valley High School for Grades 7–10 and later to Bumayong Secondary School for Grades 11 and 12. Growing up, his father worked in Lae and was often away, and his mother frequently travelled between the city and their village. This meant he spent much of his chil...

Photos above: Induction with NBPOL Training Manager Mr Steven Maddie and NBPOL Human Resource Secretary Ms Margaret Sitban. Industry training is an important component of all academic programs at PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment (PNG UNRE), providing students with practical workplace experience. In West New Britain Province, this requirement is being supported through a training partnership between the PNG UNRE West New Britain Students Association (PNG UNRE WNBSA) and New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL). Initiated in 2024, the collaboration enables Year 3 students from different academic programs to undertake industrial training with NBPOL. It is coordinated by PNG UNRE WNBSA in collaboration with NBPOL Training Manager Mr Steven Maddie and Head of Smallholders Affairs Mr Wilfred Tangole. Under the arrangement, students complete an eight-week training program, gaining hands-on industry experience and applying academic theory in practice. NBPOL provides financia...

A journey of love, memory, and final return — told by the daughter of a man who devoted his life to Papua New Guinea’s forests. By REBECCA HOWCROFT, daughter of the late Neville Howcroft. UNRE rep Sylvester Kulang (second right), with Rebbeca Howcroft and her brother Mike at the burial site in Bulolo. T he old DC-3, a relic of an era Dad had helped build, was gone, replaced by the modern drone of a twin-prop plane rattling toward Bulolo. But as the mountains of Morobe Province sharpened through the haze, the air felt thick with his memory. Inside my suitcase, nestled in heavy silence, were his ashes—the final, physical remnants of a man whose heart never truly left the humid valleys of Papua New Guinea. He passed away in a Brisbane hospital on November 2, 2024, but in the final months of his life, his wish was clear: he belonged back in Bulolo. Dad’s story was inextricably linked to Bulolo. It wasn't just a town of gold dust and timber; it was where his purpose began. He started hi...

Workshop participants with Fullbright Scholar Dr Aishat Balugun and Vice Chancellor Professor Aisak Pue. PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to improving its academic programs for effective delivery to students. Last month about 60 academic staff attended a four-day workshop from November 18-21 on Curriculum Design, co-sponsored by USAID in PNG. The workshop was facilitated by Fullbright Scholar Dr Aishat Balugun, a distinguished academic from Indiana University with extensive expertise in curriculum design, instructional development, and higher education quality assurance. Dr Balogun’s experience in curriculum innovation, assessment strategies, and faculty training guided PNG UNRE academic staff in aligning their curriculum practices with both institutional goals and national standards. The workshop was specifically designed for personnel involved in teaching and learning and forms part of the Vice Chancellor’s broader endeavour to promote a cultur...