PNG 2022 Election Update: Names of Provicial Returning Officers

2022 PNG Election News Update: The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) has appointed 19 Returning Officers (ROs) for the 2022 National General Elections (#2022NGE). Their appointments were dated 8th Oct 2021.

 Wondered where to get the updated PNG Electoral Common Roll?

Latest deferral of the Opening of Nominations and what dates are changing - read the updates

The three provinces with unknown ROs are Sundown, Western and Western Highlands provinces.

2022 PNG Election News Update - Provinces and 2022 NGE Returning Officers

Do you want to write a good Candidate profile? Here is how to do it!

1. Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Justin Pantumari)
2.   Central (Peter Malaifeope)
3.  Chimbu/Simbu (Tom Sine)
4.   East New Britain (Joap Volvol)
5.   East Sepik (James Piapia)
6.   Eastern Highlands (Steven Gore Kaupa)
7.   Enga (Anton Iamau)
8.   Gulf (Poevare Tore)
9.   Hela (John Tips)
10.   Jiwaka (Rossie Pandhau)
11.   Madang (Spoosa Navi)
12.   Manus (Alice Sikin)
13.   Milne Bay (Dadu Daga)
14.   Morobe (Simon Moheke)
15.   National Capital District (Kila Ralai)
16.   New Ireland (Annette Bais)
17.   Oro Northern (Daisy Hombogani)
18.   Sandaun West Sepik (???)
19.   Southern Highlands (Alwynn Jimmy)
20.   West New Britain  (Emily Kelton)
21.   Western /Fly (???)
22.   Western Highlands (???)

NOTE: The PNGEC missed the appointment of the 3 ROs due to reasons unknown. This list has been circulated widely on Social Media. 

We hope that the PNGEC does this selection properly and ensures that this important appointment is complete and FINAL. 

Let us know in the comment if you know of the ROs for Sundown, Western and Western Highlands provinces.

LSAT Results and Law School Admission 2023

The Law School Admission Council (LSAT) has said that the application for entry into the 2023 and 2024 academic years has been competitive. Law schools in the US and Canada are going to have a difficult time admitting aspiring lawyers.

Year-over-year law school applications

There was a 13% increase in the number of applicants last year. 

According to LSAT, this was the 

''largest year-over-year increase in law school applications since 2002. Not only was the increase in applications immense, but the number of applicants with LSAT scores in the 175 to 180 band grew as well, from 732 last year to 1,487 this time around''.

LSAT Results and Law School Admission Increase

For the first time since 2002, Law schools in the US will experience a high enrollment of students, students with high LSAT test scores. 

“This was the cycle that surprised everyone,” said Mike Spivey of Spivey Consulting, whose firm assists clients in the law school admissions process. “In some cycles, applicants are surprised. In some cycles, law schools are surprised. But no one was able to anticipate the incredible spike of high LSAT scores.”

More Intelligent students doing LSAT 2023

The increase in the number of high LSAT scores can be attributed to a high number of intelligent students wanting to do law.

The Law School Admission Council has said that their data show aspiring law students had more time to study for the admissions test during the pandemic. And their efforts are yielding higher scores. 

 Read more about LSAT, the body that conducts the August 2023 remote admission tests

LSAT online tutors on remote LSATs

LSAT online tutors also noted that due to the change in 2023 LSAT Writing tests, the LSAT is done remotely, both Part A Multiple Choice and Part B Essays. 

The test takers do the test in their own homes and are less stressful and more manageable than a longer exam taken at a testing centre.

The change could have had a better effect on the students' LSAT results this year, 2023. The remote LSAT test is going to remain until June 2024. 

Spivey predicts that the law schools in the US are going to go through a tough time deciding who to admit into the academic years 2023 and 2024. 

“You’re going to see a competitive cycle early on,” he said. “And I think schools are going to go incredibly slowly in admit decision-making. They got burned this year.”

Read more about the Law School Admission Test, LSAT.

2024 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) for PNG Students

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) provides a diverse group of emerging student leaders with a scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at a U.S. college or university. 

Global UGRAD is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

Global UGRAD aims to recruit participants from underrepresented backgrounds who have not had other opportunities to study in the United States. 

Successful applicants can expect in-depth exposure to U.S. society, culture, and academic institutions, as well as opportunities to enhance their professional skills.

• For students in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands or Vanuatu
• Deadline to apply – (Expected) Early January

Global UGRAD is administered by World Learning

All participants will be enrolled in full-time, non-degree, undergraduate coursework chosen from their host institution’s existing curriculum. Participants will be required to take one, 3-credit U.S. studies course to enhance their understanding of the United States. 

Participants will live in campus housing facilities with American peers and will be required to participate in twenty hours of community service. There will also be a virtual arrival orientation and an in-person end-of-program workshop.

Candidates from the Pacific Islands countries are eligible. Global UGRAD is administered by World Learning on behalf of its funder, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Only online applications will be accepted, Eastern Standard time via: https://webportalapp.com/

Program Eligibility

Global UGRAD is open to all academic fields of study and does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or disability.

The Global UGRAD Program is open to anyone who meets the following criteria:

• Applicants must be a citizen of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands or Vanuatu to apply for the Global UGRAD Program.
• Applicants must be studying in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands or Vanuatu to apply for the Global UGRAD Program.
• Scholarships will be granted to students who currently are enrolled in full-time undergraduate programs only, having completed a minimum of their first semester of study. Participants must have at least one semester or an equivalent term to complete at their home institutions upon completion of the Global UGRAD Program.
• Applicants should demonstrate leadership potential through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.
• Applicants must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 48iBT.
• Preference will be given to those who have had little or NO experience in the United States or outside of their home countries.
• Has a solid command of written and spoken English (English Language training for some finalists is possible);
• Able to begin studies in the U.S. in January 2024 (selected participants may not defer to a later date);
• Eligible to receive and maintain the U.S. student exchange visa (J-1) required for the program;
• Applicants are over 18 years of age.
• Cleared by a physician to participate in the program

Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for the Global UGRAD Program:

• U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States;
• Individuals currently studying, residing, or working outside of their home country;
• Anyone who has already graduated from university
• Local employees of the U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); employees are also ineligible for one year following the termination of employment;
• Immediate family members (i.e. spouses and children) of U.S. Department of State and USAID employees; family members are also ineligible for one year following the termination of employment;
• Current World Learning employees and their immediate family members

For more info please visit: https://www.worldlearning.org/program/global-undergraduate-exchange-program

If you have questions, please write to: pdportmoresby@state.gov

For detailed information please visit the Global UGRAD website and Global UGRAD Facebook page.  The house program description, program eligibility, a link to the online application and a great video of current UGRAD students encouraging others to apply.  

Global UGRAD YouTube Channel features videos that past participants have made about their experiences in the U.S.

Midwifery Scholarship Review Specialist Australia Awards Papua New Guinea

As a leading global development consulting firm, our purpose is to contribute to a world where people, communities and the planet thrive.

Tetra Tech International Development works with governments, businesses and NGOs to solve complex development challenges. Our dedicated team helps partners including DFAT, USAID and the Asian Development Bank to deliver effective and sustainable projects in more than 80 countries around the world.

[Check out the latest information on Australia Awards Scholarship for 2024]

• Midwifery Scholarship Review Specialist
• Up to 24 days across two months
• Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

The Program: Australia Awards Papua New Guinea

The Australia Awards Papua New Guinea (AAPNG) Facility is designed to promote knowledge, leadership and enduring ties between Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). It aims to build knowledge and skills to address PNG’s economic and development challenges through international scholarships to Australia and scholarships in PNG.

It offers the next generation of leaders in Papua New Guinea opportunities to acquire professional and technical knowledge and skills relevant to the priorities of the Government of PNG. The program ensures opportunities are provided for women, people with disabilities and people from rural and remote locations. The program supports alumni to use their skills, knowledge and networks to drive change and innovation.

AAPNG includes three study options:

• Australia Award Scholarships for Papua New Guineans to undertake long-term study in Australia, primarily at the postgraduate level
• Australia Awards In-PNG Scholarships for Papua New Guineans to undertake long-term study in PNG to meet critical workforce gaps
• Short courses for Papua New Guineans to undertake targeted short-term professional development study in Australia or PNG, often receiving an Australian qualification.

As a further extension of its educational activities, the AAPNG Facility supports the PNGAus Partnership Secondary Schools Initiative which connects Australia and Papua New Guinea’s students, teachers and principals to build capability and deepen people-to-people links to underpin the enduring partnership between Australia and PNG.

The AAPNG Facility also manages the PNGAus Partnership Higher Education Support initiative, which involves projects that develop partnerships between Papua New Guinean and Australian higher education institutions to strengthen PNG institutions’ capacity in teaching, learning and research in alignment with the Government of PNG’s higher education reform agenda.

To deliver Australia Awards outcomes, AAPNG has six stream activities: Australia Awards; PNG and Pacific Awards; Short Courses and Capacity Development; Alumni Engagement; Secondary Education; and Higher Education. AAPNG is managed by Tetra Tech International Development, on behalf of the Australian Government.

The Position: Midwifery Scholarship Review Specialist 

Reporting to the Facility Director, the Midwifery Scholarship Review Specialist will work closely with the PNG and Pacific Awards Manager and undertake a short review of the midwifery scholarships funded by the Australian Government and private sector sponsors through Australia Awards PNG.

The review aims to better understand the barriers to nurses applying for the scholarship and to provide recommendations to Australia Awards PNG and the Australian High Commission to address these barriers. The review will look across the whole scholarship cycle (promotion, application, selection, institution admission, on-award support and reintegration). The role involves working largely independently.

The Person

The Specialist will be a suitably qualified Papua New Guinean who will possess the following:

• Postgraduate degree(s) in health sciences, international development, or related field
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in maternal and child health in PNG’s context.
• Demonstrated and successful experience in working collaboratively across cultures with a diverse range of stakeholders, including Melanesia.
• Excellent understanding of Papua New Guinea’s tertiary education sector.
• Previous experience with Australian Government-funded projects and knowledge of relevant policies, standards, and protocols.
• Strong administrative skills including time management, and experience in using Microsoft Office software such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent analytical and English language report writing and communication skills.
• Proven experience contributing to PNG health sector program reviews and designs including demonstrated significant contributions to the development of reports and presentations.
• This program is managed by Tetra Tech International Development, on behalf of the Australian Government.

Tetra Tech International Development has a 40-year history of successfully delivering international development projects on behalf of donors right around the world, including Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, USAID and the UK's Department for International Development (now known as the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office). Our people work side by side with local partners to support stability, economic growth and good governance, positively changing people's lives.

Tetra Tech International Development has robust policies and guidelines which exemplify our commitment to safeguarding and technical excellence in gender equality. Our team of dedicated GEDSI advisers work closely with our staff and partners to ensure a context-specific and consistent approach is applied to all our programmes to improve the livelihoods of the world’s most marginalised groups.

Tetra Tech International Development is also committed to respectful workplaces and does not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment of any kind.

Tetra Tech International Development is an equal-opportunity employer of choice and is committed to child protection.

How to apply

This position is locally engaged and reserved for the National Citizens of Papua New Guinea.

To view a detailed position description and to apply, please visit Tetra Tech International Development Careers and search for job number 499144. Please note that applications will only be accepted via the online application process on the Tetra Tech International Development Website.

For further enquiries, please contact us at IDEV.HRServices@tetratech.com and quote the job reference number 499144

Applications close: early in September