Australia High Commission Hosts Dinner for New Minister and University Leaders

The Australia High Commission hosted a dinner at the Hilton Hotel to honor the newly sworn-in Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science, Technology, and Sport, Hon. Kinoka Feo, along with the Member for Unggai-Bena and all seven University Vice-Chancellors and Research Institute Directors.

In his opening remarks, Minister Feo reflected on his brief but impactful career in tertiary education, particularly his role as a Development Director at Pacific Adventist University. He expressed a strong commitment to advancing the higher education sector.

Minister Feo raised several critical concerns during his address. He highlighted the significant challenge posed by the large number of Grade 12 graduates from National High Schools and Secondary Schools, which totals over 20,000 annually, compared to the available 10,000 spaces in tertiary institutions. "We need to work closely in taking in more students in our tertiary levels by creating more infrastructures," he emphasized.

The Minister also acknowledged the Australian government's contributions, particularly in providing scholarships and project funding for educational institutions.

He expressed deep appreciation for the efforts of the administrators across all tertiary institutions, admitting that while he may not know everything about the sector, he is eager to collaborate with the highly educated leaders to ensure that these institutions provide the best knowledge and skills to the nation's citizens.