NEWS
Papuan Students Arrive at IPU New Zealand
Papuan Students Arrive at IPU
Eighteen new students from Papua Province in Indonesia were welcomed at IPU New Zealand this week under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Provincial Government and the Institute. This is the second group to participate in the programme that arose from an August 2014 visit by a group of Papuan parliamentarians. The visiting students come for at least one year to study in the IPU Foundation Programme, primarily to improve their English language in addition to the other benefits of international tertiary study.
Miss Dina Ayonda, Executive Assistant to the Governor, explained, “They come from the various regions in Papua, most from the villages. They are our best investment; the future of the next generation in Papua.” The province has a population of 3.8 million people. In addition, three students are placed at Awatapu College.
IPU President Wayne Edwards commended the strong on-going relationship between the Province and the Institute. He said, “The Papuan students provide a significant dimension on the campus and in their classes. It is truly exciting for the Institute to have this involvement in the future progress of this fast developing part of the world which is a new place to many New Zealanders.”
The students spent the last two weeks undergoing an orientation programme in Bali and this week they are being introduced to Palmerston North, the IPU campus and their study programme.