PNG Expands Overseas STEM Scholarships With 137 New Scholars

PNG Expands Overseas STEM Scholarships With 137 New Scholars

One hundred and thirty-seven PNG students are preparing to leave for overseas universities after being selected for the latest intake of the Government's STEM scholarship programme.

Their departure marks another expansion of a scheme that has placed hundreds of Papua New Guinean students in universities abroad since 2023, with the total number of beneficiaries now estimated at about 470.
The students were farewelled by the Department of Education, where Secretary Dr Uke Kombra encouraged them to make the most of the opportunity ahead.

“It is a privilege to farewell another group of 137 bright young Papua New Guineans who will soon begin the next chapter of their academic journey in classrooms overseas,” Dr Kombra said.
The Government's first STEM intake comprised 43 students who travelled to the United States in 2023.
The programme was expanded in 2024, when 145 students were placed in universities across the United States, China, India and Fiji.
A further 145 students followed in 2025, with placements taking them to Australia, China, India, Malaysia and the US.
The pioneer scholars are now approaching the final stage of their studies in America and are expected to graduate soon.
Students under the scheme are being trained in fields considered important to the country's health, infrastructure and technological development.
Their areas of study include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, medical laboratory science and several engineering specialisations.
Among the engineering courses are civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, petroleum and hydraulic engineering.
At the same time, interest is growing in technology-based careers, including artificial intelligence, data science, software engineering, cyber security and computer science. Biochemistry is also among the emerging areas attracting PNG students.
Dr Kombra said female participation had been encouraging, with women making up roughly 41 per cent of the current scholars.
He said graduates from the National Schools of Excellence were continuing to demonstrate strong academic performance, with Mean Rating Index results regularly exceeding 90.
The Secretary said overseas universities had taken notice of the quality of PNG students and their commitment to their studies.
Education Minister Francis Kikin Siune said the scholarship programme was part of a broader Government effort to build a skilled national workforce rather than continue depending heavily on foreign professionals.
Mr Siune referred to Japan and Singapore as examples of countries that invested heavily in developing their human resources and technical capacity.
He said PNG needed to strengthen its workforce in areas such as engineering, medicine and technology and that international study gave students access to specialised courses unavailable locally.
The Minister said the programme would also expose scholars to professional standards and attitudes that could benefit the country when they returned.
He announced that the Ministry would establish a formal bonding policy requiring scholarship recipients to come back to PNG following completion of their studies.
Mr Siune said the overseas placements should be viewed as an investment in the country's future and challenged the scholars to return with the knowledge needed to help modernise PNG.
Dr Kombra said the students leaving the country carried an important responsibility to use their education for the benefit of their homeland.
“The scholars departing today represent young people whose lives will be transformed through education. They will return home with the qualifications, knowledge and experience needed to make a contribution to our nation's development,” Dr Kombra said.

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