News Blog

DWU Reviews Progress, Challenges and Priorities During Annual Review Week

Divine Word University staff gathered at the Madang Campus today for the annual DWU Review Week, a key institutional exercise that provides an opportunity for faculties, divisions, and departments to reflect on achievements, address challenges experienced throughout 2026, and outline priorities for improvement in 2027.

The review brought together university leadership, faculty deans, directors, heads of departments, and staff in a collaborative forum aimed at strengthening accountability, performance, and strategic planning across the institution. The presentations commenced with Faculty Deans who provided comprehensive reports on the accomplishments of their respective faculties during 2026. The presentations highlighted achievements in teaching, learning, research, student support, and community engagement, while also addressing challenges encountered throughout the year and identifying areas requiring further attention and development.

Following the faculty presentations, DWU President, Professor Fr. Philip Gibbs, delivered an overview of the University's identity, mission, and future direction. He reflected on DWU's journey from its early beginnings to becoming a multi-campus national university, emphasizing its commitment to quality education, research, community engagement, and service grounded in Christian values. Professor Fr. Philip Gibbs also highlighted the importance of nurturing faith, ethics, community service, and social responsibility alongside academic excellence, emphasizing that the University's role extends beyond imparting knowledge to forming graduates who contribute positively to society and lead with integrity.

“It is important to develop people instead of only developing knowledge,” Professor Gibbs said.

The review week forum continued with presentations from the University's senior executive leadership team, including Vice President Operations, Mr. Joe Williams Lalie; Vice President Planning and Development, Mrs. Julie Ruene; and Vice President Academic Affairs, Professor Iwona Kolodziejczyk.

Providing an overview of the Operations portfolio, Vice President Operations, Mr. Joe Williams Lalie highlighted several key achievements recorded in 2026, including strengthened communication and collaboration among campuses, the establishment of the Madang Campus Administration Office, enhanced leadership engagement across campuses, improved human resource support services, ongoing ICT developments including migration to cloud-based services, and initiatives focused on student welfare. Looking ahead to 2027, he outlined priorities such as financial sustainability, further enhancement of HR and ICT support functions, policy development, infrastructure planning, maintenance, and continued improvements to staff and student services across all DWU campuses.

Reporting on the Planning and Development portfolio, Vice President Planning and Development Mrs. Julie Ruene highlighted key infrastructure achievements across DWU's campuses in 2026, including the commissioning of the 32-bed MBBS Student Dormitory in Lae, the extension of the Male Student Recreational Hall and Simulation Laboratory in Wewak, and the completion of campus infrastructure surveys to guide future developments. She also highlighted the University's partnership with the East Sepik Provincial Government to support the continued development of the Wewak Campus, reaffirming DWU's commitment to building sustainable infrastructure that enhances teaching, learning, and student wellbeing.

Reflecting on achievements and priorities within Academic Affairs, Vice President Academic Affairs, Professor Iwona Kolodziejczyk highlighted the University's academic progress during its milestone 30th anniversary year. She spoke on the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in higher education, the strengthening of international partnerships, academic programme reviews, quality assurance initiatives, policy development, and staff engagement. Professor Kolodziejczyk emphasized that quality improvement requires sustained effort, innovation thrives when staff are supported and involved, and that the true value of partnerships lies in how effectively their outcomes are implemented to benefit the University community. Her presentation also focused on building the next chapter of DWU through innovation, collaboration, digital excellence,

The review discussions provided an important platform for constructive dialogue among staff, enabling participants to share experiences, identify common challenges, and explore practical solutions that will contribute to the University's growth and success in the coming year.

As DWU prepares for 2027, the Review Week reaffirmed the University's commitment to continuous improvement, collaborative leadership, and its mission of forming graduates who are professionally competent, ethically grounded, and dedicated to serving their communities and the nation.

The annual review serves as an important reminder that the University's progress is strengthened through collective reflection, shared responsibility, and a commitment to excellence across all areas of university life.