THE opportunity

This campus occupies a strategic position in the city of Lae, and has the potential to significantly benefit the region by growing as a major education facility. The city of Lae has very strong growth prospects in the immediate and longer term. It is PNG’s main port city (serving both the Highland and the Islands regions) and its primary industrial city.

There is a severe shortage of alienated land (non-customary land) in the city. The main Unitech Campus is around 220 hectares in area. Given the large land holding with a single owner there is the real prospect of a well-integrated ‘knowledge precinct’ which combines the University’s core teaching activity with, business and commercial activity, housing and other institutions.

The student population is now at 3000 which is full capacity for the existing campus and its facilities. In recent years the student population has been growing at a rate of 10% p.a. At this rate of growth the population will double every 7 years. On-campus-living is likely to continue as the main mode of living for students and staff because of the housing crisis in Lae and poor infrastructure in the wider city.

The Master Plan is a framework for planning the physical facilities of the University, to be considered alongside the academic plan for growth. At a high level, it is intended to inform the University in its decision making.