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Rugby League and Australia’s Soft Power Advantage in PNG

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By Bernard Yegiora Why might Papua New Guineans welcome Australian mining investment while expressing reservations about Chinese investment in the same sector? And what does rugby league have to do with that difference? These questions connect our research on Ramu NiCo with Australia’s use of sport in its relationship with PNG. My argument is that rugby league gives Australia a powerful resource for building attraction: an existing emotional connection that investment and diplomatic statements alone cannot easily reproduce. What our Ramu NiCo research tells us In our 2025 Australian Journal of International Affairs article , Denghua Zhang and I examined local perceptions of Ramu NiCo’s corporate social responsibilities. Our research involved 513 survey participants—413 Divine Word University students and 100 people surveyed around the Madang town market—and 44 interviews. The comparison was striking. Among market respondents, 79% opposed further Chinese investment in PNG’s mining ...
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PNG Must Have the Capacity to Direct Its Defence Partnerships

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By Bernard Yegiora Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok raises a legitimate concern in The National’s article, “Defence alliance a worry” , published on 27 October 2026. His warning is that closer defence cooperation with Australia and the United States could create strategic dependency and encourage Papua New Guinean officers to understand security through the priorities of larger powers.  Screenshot of The National’s report, “Defence alliance a worry” (27 October 2026), highlighting retired Major-General Jerry Singirok’s concerns about PNG’s sovereignty and strategic dependency. Source: The National . This concern deserves serious consideration. It also raises a practical question: how well equipped are our own institutions and officers to ensure these partnerships serve PNG’s national interests? My view is that officers in the Department of Defence (DoD) and the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) need a strong understanding of our national interests, the threats we face and the insti...
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Remembering Mr. Dickson Susub: A Teacher Who Helped Me Begin

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By Bernard Yegiora I have not published on this blog for the past few days following the death of Mr. Dickson Susub. His passing has made me pause and reflect on his contribution to my life and the beginning of my academic career. Mr. Susub joined the Political Science Strand at the University of PNG in 2005, when I was a third-year student. In 2009, as Strand Leader, he and the late Mr. Anthony Sil gave me the opportunity to work as a part-time tutorial fellow. That appointment marked the start of my academic career. Looking back, I recognize how much depended on that first opportunity. Before the years of teaching, postgraduate studies, and research, there were two senior academics willing to give me a chance. My academic journey cannot be told without acknowledging them. Some of my fondest memories are of having a beer with Mr. Susub and Mr. Sil. Their stories about their studies and life in the foreign service, followed by their analysis of international politics, made those gather...
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PNG’s Development Partnerships and International Reputation

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By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG ensure development cooperation serves its national priorities while strengthening its international reputation? These questions guided the case studies assigned to Groups 5 and 6 in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University. Drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025, the case studies asked students to consider practical approaches to development cooperation, national branding, soft power, and public diplomacy. Case Study 5: Development Cooperation Coordination and Aid Effectiveness Development cooperation can support PNG’s national development, but its effectiveness depends on how assistance is planned, coordinated, and managed. This case study placed students in the role of a development cooperation coordination team within the Department of National Planning and Monitoring. The scenario asked them to examine the risks of fragmented projects, donor-driven priorities, and weak integration with national and provincial planning systems. Th...
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From Policy to Practice: PNG’s Security Cooperation and Economic Diplomacy

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By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG turn its foreign-policy objectives into coordinated action? This question guided presentations by Groups 3 and 4 in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University, drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025. The session examined two areas where implementation depends on cooperation across government: border, maritime, and cyber security; and economic and commercial diplomacy for trade, investment, and jobs. Strengthening Security Cooperation Marshall Yob presented Group 3’s case study on Border, Maritime, and Cyber Security Cooperation . The group examined how fragmented responsibilities across security agencies can undermine responses to challenges such as transnational crime, smuggling, illegal fishing, and cyber threats. Its proposed whole-of-government framework emphasised clearer agency responsibilities, improved coordination, and joint operations. The central issue was how agencies with different mandates could work together towards shar...
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Setting PNG’s Diplomatic Priorities: Student Perspectives on Bilateral and Multilateral Engagement

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By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG translate its foreign-policy ambitions into practical outcomes with limited diplomatic, financial, and administrative resources? This question connected two student presentations in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University. Drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025, Group 1 examined strategic bilateral partnership prioritisation, while Group 2 explored PNG’s multilateral engagement and ASEAN aspirations. The presentations moved beyond identifying desirable international relationships. Students considered the coordination, institutional responsibilities, and resources needed to make those relationships deliver benefits for PNG. Group 1’s proposed implementation framework links PNG’s Foreign Policy White Paper 2025 with national development priorities, highlighting coordination between the Department of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic missions, national agencies, and provincial and local-level governments. Case Study 1: Strategic Bilateral Pa...
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Have Your Say: Proposed Changes to Our International Relations Units

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By Bernard Yegiora PNG’s Foreign Policy White Paper 2025 provides an opportunity to reconsider how we teach International Relations at Divine Word University. I invite students, academic colleagues, foreign-service practitioners and anyone with a keen interest in PNG’s international relations to share their views on proposed changes to the seven IR units in our PNG and International Studies program. Review and introduced in 2023, the Bachelor of Arts (PNG and International Studies) Program Specification Document (2022) is approaching its five-year review cycle. We propose undertaking the review work in 2027, with a revised program ready for implementation in 2028 , subject to the university’s approval processes. This review will help us assess whether the curriculum remains academically sound and relevant to PNG’s needs. The White Paper provides an important policy reference for considering how our units prepare students to understand PNG’s international priorities and the challenges o...
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