Tertiary students from all over Papua New Guinea are set to benefit from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) expertise in distance education, thanks to a new agreement with the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). 

CSU will assist UPNG develop distance education courses in 24 subject areas following the awarding of a $770,000 contract by AusAID, to be developed over two-and-a-half years.

Under the management of CSU’s Continuing and Professional Education Centre (CPEC), up to 20 CSU staff will visit UPNG, co-authoring distance education material with UPNG academics.

CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said the twinning arrangement will provide UPNG with valuable insight into delivering distance education courses.

“As Australia’s largest distance education provider, CSU is well placed to share its expertise in this area with the University of Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“University involvement in such education projects is consistent with our general commitment to international aid, such as that proposed under the Virtual Colombo Plan recently announced by the Commonwealth Government. ”

The first CSU staff member working on the project arrived in PNG on 17 September with three more due to visit UPNG before the end of the October.  

The first eight subjects, to be developed by the end of November, will be enrichment studies that enable PNG school students to become accustomed to the rigour and discipline required for University study.

CSU specialists will assist in authoring distance education subjects in commerce, law, environmental studies, public administration, policy development and auditing and finance.