Planning and Development

Planning and Development Division

Welcome

Greetings and a warm and friendly welcome to the Division of Planning and Development.

As we begin our journey at the start of the 2023 academic year, we would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts, contributions, and tremendous support of our development partners, donors, benefactors, parents, guardians, alumni, key stakeholders, and the DWU community in facing and managing the changes and infrastructural developments at Divine Word University. We hope to continue to renew this vital dialogue and partnership with you all, in the life and work of the University again this year.

The start of a new year provides an ideal time to reflect on where we have been and where we are heading as a learning community. This year’s theme, ‘The end of all knowledge, should be service to others’ invites us to achieve our primary purpose of serving national goals through our shared triple mission with all institutions of higher education in research, teaching, and community engagement, by sharing our knowledge, wisdom, skills, talents and resources. Thus enabling us to aspire towards our vision to be ‘recognized nationally and internationally by our value-based innovative application of technology to enhance learning and teaching and to give the opportunities of higher education to as many learners as possible’.

For the Division of Planning and Development, this means placing an emphasis on work, self-reliance and service in line with the following strategic objectives of the DWU Third Decade Strategic Master Plan 2016 – 2026:

Strategic Objective 4 - Productive Partnerships
Strategic Objective 5 - Enhanced Staff Capabilities
Strategic Objective 6 - Optimal Organisational Effectiveness; and
Strategic Objective 7 - Financial Sustainability and Stability.

From these strategic objectives, we have focused on developing and implementing activities that include major and planned infrastructure developments, and building stakeholder relations to strengthen the progress of the University.

We invite you all to journey with us again this year, and look forward to working together with each of you, as we share the responsibility of transforming the way higher education is offered in Papua New Guinea.

Br. Rodney Pauru Sinipo

Vice President Planning and Development

About Us

The Office of Planning and Development (P&D) under the leadership of the Vice President for Planning and Development, was established to ensure the success of planning projects, by tapping into funding opportunities, and engaging with stakeholders to build the institutional capacity of the University, in order to facilitate and strengthen existing and future academic and research programs, in the development of the University.

The Office of Planning and Development contributes to the quality of education, growth and expansion of the University in the following activities:

Seeking and securing funding for infrastructure projects;
Coordinating infrastructure planning and development for the University and offering support to strategic and operational decision making within the University; and
Promoting integrated infrastructure planning and development activities at DWU.

One of the main objectives of the Office of Planning and Development, is to arrange development funds to enhance teaching, learning and research activities and to support and implement the University’s strategic goals and objectives.

If you would like to partner with the University in contributing towards its quality of education, growth and expansion, please contact the VP Planning and Development of the Office of Planning and Development:

Telephone: (+675) 422 2937 Extension: 832 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Current Infrastructure Projects

Divine Word University with the support of the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) through its Public Investment Program (PIP) continues to be a proud recipient of the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) funds.

DWU Madang Campus

The following are infrastructure projects currently in progress at DWU’s Madang Campus:

Staff Accommodation Project (Newtown) – PGK2.9 million

This project involves the building and construction of three (3) duplexes. Each duplex consists of four, 3-bedroom apartments. Upon completion, this project will provide accommodation for 12 staff of the University.

Block Wall Perimeter Fencing Project (Phase 4) – PGK700, 000

The block wall perimeter-fencing project was built in phases with the support of DHERST through its PIP program. The fourth phase of the project is a block wall of 122.2m in length. Once complete, the perimeter wall will protect the University’s premises and its assets, staff and students, whilst ultimately indicating its boundaries from the surrounding.

Water Supply, Storage and Treatment Project (Phase 2) – PGK800, 000

The University is currently in the process of implementing Phase 2 of the Water Supply, Storage and Treatment Project. During the first phase, the University purchased a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment plant that increased the quality of water for consumption and distribution and purchased a 50,000 litre (50k/l) water tank. This has assisted DWU in saving and storing water and reducing cost.

In this second phase, the University has conducted a water feasibility study to identify potential groundwater sources at DWU of sufficient quantity and quality to sustain the current population and to meet future demands. The project will look at implementing required water treatment plants and underground water tanks that will improve the current supply of quality drinking water for distribution and consumption by staff and students.

DWU Rabaul Campus

The following infrastructure project is currently in progress at DWU’s Rabaul Campus:

Administration Building Project (Kabaleo) – PGK2.2 million

This project involves the building and construction of a double storey building for DWU’s Rabaul Campus that will support the quality of teaching, learning and research in the tertiary education sector of Papua New Guinea upon completion.

Other University Infrastructure Projects

Divine Word University continues to build its institutional capacity in order to facilitate and strengthen the academic programs that are being offered and to provide quality training for its undergraduate and postgraduate full-time and flexible learning students enrolled into these programs.

DWU Madang Campus

The following are infrastructure projects currently in progress at DWU’s Madang Campus:

Electrical Upgrade Project – PGK1 million

This project is currently being implemented in four phases and involves an upgrade and increase in size of the University’s current power line system to cater for the additional new building infrastructure that has resulted from the University’s growth and expansion.

The installation of the underground cables would be done in the following phases:

Phase 1 – Old Generator (Main Gate) to SVD House and SVD House to FMHS Lecture Building

Phase 2 – New Generator (AJ Auditorium) to Switchboard

Phase 3 – Switchboard to DWU Chapel and DWU Chapel to FMHS Lecture Building

Phase 4: FMHS Lecture Building to Old Generator (Main Gate)

St. Joseph Freinademetz Chapel Renovation and Extension Project – PGK 2.3 million

Divine Word University has always been concerned for the spiritual growth and genuine well-being of all the members of its community. The chaplaincy services on DWU’s Madang campus follow the Catholic tradition and ethos but the St. Joseph Freinademetz Chapel is open to people of all faiths, in line with the values of the University. Thus, the Pastoral Team (PT) of the DWU Madang Campus is currently raising funds to begin work on the renovation and extension of the St. Joseph Freinademetz Chapel to serve the growing number within DWU and its neighboring communities.

At present, the Pastoral Team with the support of the DWU community and its alumni have raised PGK200, 000 towards this project and have also attempted to source funding from other possible donors and partners.

You can show your support and donate towards this project as follows:

Account Name: CHAPEL PROJECT ACCOUNT

Account Number: 7020658642

Bank: Bank South Pacific

Branch: Madang

DWU Port Moresby Campus

The following infrastructure project is currently in progress at DWU’s Port Moresby Campus:

Refurbishment of Lecture Building Block C – PGK1.5 million

The project deliverable of this project is the satisfactory construction and refurbishment of a modern multi-purpose lecture building complex for DWU’s Port Moresby Campus that enhances the quality of teaching, learning and research. The lecture building complex will enable the University to provide higher education opportunities to as many learners as possible, increase the number of academic programs offered through DWU’s Port Moresby Campus and contribute towards increasing the level of skilled education in the PNG formal labour market.

Future Infrastructure Projects

Divine Word University is a multi-campus national university and a leading tertiary institution in Papua New Guinea. The University’s main campus in Madang has evolved over the last 26 years

to become an intrinsically beautiful place for teaching, learning, and research in an eco-friendly environment. Other DWU campuses located in Port Moresby, Wewak, Kokopo and Tabubil have also progressed somewhat as well. Such expansion and growth within the teaching, learning and research environment of the University with the development of new academic programs, departments and research centres, has led to the University experiencing infrastructure pressures within its administrative and academic operations on all its campuses around the country.

A comprehensive Campus Infrastructure Plan has been commissioned to support the University’s vision and to establish a framework for decision making, strategic planning and development to accomplish the objectives set out in the various University plans, including the DWU Third Decade Strategic Plan (2016 – 2026), the Learning and Teaching Plan, the DWU Research Plan and the Faculty Operational Plans. The plan is charged with creating a vision for the future that supports the expressed mission of the University and encourages the rigorous pursuit of intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, personal and professional development.

The plan will reinforce Divine Word University’s unique multi-campus environment while building upon its already established tradition of campus planning and building design. It will consider the realities of each campus’s physical constraints and address each of the campus’s overall physical form aesthetically, structurally, and functionally. Campus infrastructure needs, environmental sustainability, and economic development are integral to the framework and will be configured to support the strategic academic and administrative priorities of the University.

Investments in new facilities and infrastructure will include strategies and innovation regarding accessibility, e-learning, facility sustainability and development. The planning and design of new and re-developed facilities will include a systematic process of functional planning, budgeting, conceptual design, elemental costing, detailed design, project management, and commissioning. This process will ensure no surprises and the construction of facilities that are efficient and effective to operate and maintain. Facilities will be purpose built yet flexible to facilitate ongoing changes in curriculum, research and technologies.

The Campus Infrastructure Plan will be a living document that will be used as the basis of design for the current and future development of DWU. It will be a framework that is flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of the University and will also provide a basis for potential donor funded support. It is an essential part of conveying an inspiring long-term vision for the future of Divine Word University committed to developing itself into a world-class tertiary education sector in order to fulfill the Government requirements of access in supplying a skilled workforce that is required for the country’s development.