Reasons why students want Albert Shram back.
By SAMUEL MAGIRI
Hardly any talented European comes to our
university and we struggled for more than a year to bring back damn good VC
Albert Shram. Today Unitech is a dark room with no air movement only Shram can
unlock this place and make it move again.
1. Government made a mediation report in 2012
and Sevua report in 2013 and nothing was found wrong with Shram. An innocent
man but Minister Arore says he will not let Shram back because of national
security concern and instability. This doesn’t fit the black and white
facts- Unitech students are fine when Shram was here. The only instability
incidents were 1) when ex chancellor Phillip Stag illegally tried to run Shram
off campus in middle 2012 and students chased off Stagg, 2) when government
illegally kept Shram from re-entering PNG in December 2012 and we boycotted. These
2 incidents were caused by petty politics of people outside campus. If Shram
has become a national security threat to corrupt and lazy people we should
welcome that!
2. PNG law says only Unitech council, not minister
for higher education can hire or sack VC. If Shram broke any law it is a matter
for the courts no the OHE minister.
3. We do not want to see a new untested VC
either national or expat. Misti Baloiloi stayed glued to Unitech for 15 years
because he helped corrupt council. If we get another corrupt VC they'll be here
forever and destroy this place. A new and untested VC could be a disaster in
any case. A new expat VC could surprise us by going corrupt like Gelot
HOD of electrical engineering who came in on American passport. The acting VC
we have now Dr Jon Pumwa has already failed the leadership test. Not
inspiring. Never comes out with dreams or plans. Tries to convince everyone
things are good when it’s not. It was a chance given to us by God when Shram
applied to lead Unitech. Most expats at Unitech are from developing
countries and only come for money.
4. Shram is from Europe with developed mind.
Shram gets A marks for his leadership in only a few months. First new
staffs housing in 40 years built specially for new expat teachers. Roads fixed
after years of potholes. Shram started project to fix the waste treatment
plant. The money received was recently used to buy equipment that can fix other
Unitech roads. Shram was working to improve mess food by investigating
the heart of the matter. Was negotiating with publishers in India to bring
cheaper textbooks to PNG. All kinds of things we saw with our eyes. This guy
knows the importance of checking out things for himself instead of sitting in
his office like Pumwa. Most of the highly educated nationals at Unitech act
above everyone and never reach out. Acting VC Pumwa doesn't talk with average
Joe students except in his own department. No apparent interest in student
survival pains and was in back of the big increase in school fees. Dr Shram
walked around a lot, visited dorms. Ate in the mess with us. Spent much
time not only with student leaders talking to everyone. Showed a genuine heart
for our problems and doing his best to improve things. Those who show they have
a heart for students will help students the most that’s proven fact.
5. This year acting VC Jon Pumwa made Unitech
staffs angry for deciding things without consulting first. Tried to stop staffs
families from running small business to make ends meet. Tried to make a rule
saying no relatives over 18 allowed in Unitech housing that almost started
revolution. You never know when this bomb explodes or makes crazy
decision. Never admits wrong. Closes his eyes like he never made
the decision when he sees it going to disaster! Shram proved he listens to
student views and other opinions before making decision. Was always happy
to explain clearly to us what he wants to do and why.
6. Unitech teachers who have been here for
years have nothing fresh to offer. Every year they do the same thing in class.
Few national teachers go overseas but no interest in educating others
what they learnt when they get back and don't seem able to explain much anyway.
Most expat teachers will story if we ask and teach us new ways of doing things.
Brains full of new ideas and good ways to do development from the best ones.
Create vibrant environments that give energy to students and makes
studies interesting. We students need to have teachers and leaders at Unitech
who lived most of their lives in developed countries. That perspective
will benefit our education and will give us better chances to get good jobs
when we get out. Unitech needs these people but few want to come. They read
stories of PNG corruption then see a national in charge at Unitech and think
the whole place is corrupt. Shram is a welcome Unitech light shining out to the
world. He can attract good teachers from overseas better than any
national VC because he’s from a developed country. His presence sends
positive signals to unsteady overseas applicants that it’s ok to try out PNG.
7. Proven willingness to connect with the
right people in the world. Brought in student exchange programme with universities
in America that is now working. Former SRC president now studying in Spain on
this program. Shram and Prof Satter was putting together joint DWU-Unitech
entrepreneur program to improve Unitech students to compete. VC Pumwa went
overseas to help his own department mechanical engineering only. Favours
his friends and department. Shows less interest networking with others.
8. When money at Unitech is misused it can’t
be used on our education. We can only stop corruption if the guilty are
severely punished! This year acting VC Jon Pumwa would not touch slack teachers
he left it to Satter who didn't do much. Mismanagement became intolerable in
business studies by the African woman Binta but it was staffs in the department
who pushed her out when acting VC did nothing. Court case against old VC
Misti Baloiloi and others was thrown out of court for some reason and no word
what Unitech is doing about that. Corrupt staffs and teachers still at Unitech
hoping that if Shram is gone for good it goes back to business as usual. Shram
removed several staff and teachers for failing to do the job when he was here.
He saw corruption and was removing it. Lazy staffs didn't like
him. Corrupt HODs worried that illegal money making activities would be found
out by Shram like what Gonduan did in architecture. Dr Shram is proven honest
and zero tolerance for corruption. After Shram left we don't hear much about
cleaning up corruption at Unitech and what happened to court case against
Baloiloi?
9. Our own people start helping wantoks
sooner or later. Shram came from another environment, he is the only one
who we can have any hope will decide everything on basis of merit. Also he
doesn't have big family obligations or problems like in PNG to pull him away
constantly from his work.
10. How can we learn properly when Unitech
library has too many useless books, teachers give us out of date stuffs or
don't show up for class. Anyone who studied overseas looks back at Unitech
graduates and laughs at how ignorant we are. Expanding job market in PNG
especially with LNG project goes too much to people from China, India,
Bangladesh, and Africa. Unitech graduates don't get these jobs because of
our poor qualification and knowledge. Only lucky few can find jobs overseas
most get work at Eriku or loading boxes in the industrial area that’s our dark
future. The big companies know that Unitech graduates are uneducated and hire
hardly anyone. Unitech doesn't find out clearly from these companies how much
we have to know as graduates to get employment with them and don't adjust the
course work to fit these jobs. Shram didn't visit a developed country he
actually grew up with those standards. Knows deep down what must be done
to improve our education to reach the level of a developed country. He
was pushing departments to listen to those who might employ us later but now
he's gone and things sliding downhill again. VC Jon Pumwa destroyed Shram's
plan to use new staffs housing to attract vibrant overseas teachers to give us
better education and gave the houses to tired old national teachers. Acting VC
and the rest of them keep pretending everything is fine and keep studying.
After we graduate, we'll find company doors shut in our face more than before.
Immediate action is needed. Only Shram cares enough about our
future to try.