The Yegiora Files

The Queensland Rugby League (QRL), through the Intrust Super Cup, has significant untapped potential in PNG—a country where rugby league is not just a pastime but a national identity. While the PNG Hunters serve as the country’s only representative team in the competition, the current structure severely limits fan engagement and commercial growth. A more inclusive and accessible broadcasting model, combined with strategic investment in regional infrastructure, could transform the Intrust Super Cup into a household name across PNG. Wynnum Manly Seagulls building bridges through rugby league — proudly donating their former playing jerseys to a local Port Moresby team during their recent visit to Papua New Guinea. A great gesture that deepens ties between QRL clubs and PNG’s passionate rugby league community. Currently, only PNG Hunters games are broadcast in PNG, and even that comes with restrictions. TV Wan, owned by Digicel Pacific, offers the games exclusively through its entertainmen...

The final seminar for the International and Regional Security unit at Divine Word University focused on the growing threat of transnational organized crime in PNG and the wider Pacific region. This type of crime—spanning human trafficking, drug smuggling, and illicit financial flows—continues to exploit institutional weaknesses across Pacific Island countries. The seminar brought together a range of student presentations that examined the drivers, dynamics, and policy responses to this issue, drawing from a chapter authored by Watson, Sousa-Santos, and Howes in the Development Bulletin published by the Australian National University Screenshot of the video on my YouTube Channel One of the key themes discussed was the vulnerability of Pacific Island countries to transnational organized crime. Geographic isolation, porous maritime borders, and limited enforcement capacity were identified as major structural challenges. These factors, coupled with gaps in legislation and weak interagen...

When Western media and policymakers talk about poverty in places like PNG, they often rely on indicators that measure material wealth, such as income levels, access to consumer goods, and formal employment. While these measures are useful in some contexts, they fail to capture the complexity and strength of traditional social structures like the kinship system, which continue to play a critical role in the daily lives of many Papua New Guineans. ChatGPT-generated image symbolizing kinship and generosity in PNG. The kinship system is more than a family tree; it is a living social network that organizes obligations, responsibilities, and resource-sharing among individuals and groups. It determines who you can call upon for help, who you must support, and how resources such as land, food, and labor are distributed. In many rural communities, and even in urban settings, it remains the primary form of social security, welfare, and resilience. One of the great strengths of the kinship syste...

Transnational organized crime continues to pose significant challenges to PNG, particularly within its vast and largely unmonitored maritime zones. Seminar 9 focused on examining the scale of these threats, highlighting the urgency of a comprehensive national response. Students were encouraged to critically engage with PNG’s ranking in the Global Organized Crime Index and to reflect on the structural weaknesses that expose the country to criminal activities across its maritime domain. The seminar opened with a discussion on the definitions and characteristics of transnational organized crime, drawing attention to the systemic factors that enable such activities to thrive. Inadequate border governance, porous maritime boundaries, and limited enforcement capacity were identified as key vulnerabilities. The concept of Blue Security was introduced as a framework to rethink maritime governance, promoting integrated management of marine resources and emphasizing the protection of PNG’s ter...

As part of my PhD research at Divine Word University, I am conducting an important study on how China’s Higher Education Exchange Programs are shaping the future of PNG’s relations with China. These programs include Chinese Government Scholarships, Chinese language programs, public sector training courses, as well as students who pursued studies in China through private sponsorships , district-level scholarships , and PNG Government initiatives such as the STEM program . Capturing the voices of all who experienced study and training in China is central to understanding the broader impact on our society and diplomacy. Screenshot of the survey introduction on Microsoft Forms. Over the past few weeks, I have been actively reaching out on LinkedIn to connect with PNG students and alumni who have participated in these opportunities. Whether you were sponsored by the Chinese Government, a PNG district, a private arrangement, or a government development program, your story matters. By buildi...

Higher Education Exchange Programs (HEEPs) are no longer just about sending students across borders to earn academic credentials. Increasingly, they are being recognized as platforms for the reciprocal exchange of knowledge, experience, and—critically—culture. For me, HEEPs are part of a broader architecture of international engagement that facilitates mutual understanding and creates human bridges between societies. As such, they should be seen as more than academic opportunities: they are tools of diplomacy, partnership, and influence. This redefinition is deeply rooted in the theory of soft power , as developed by Joseph Nye. Unlike hard power, which relies on coercion, soft power is the ability to shape others’ preferences through attraction. Countries exercise soft power by making their culture, political values, and foreign policy appealing. Education—and higher education in particular—is a powerful soft power instrument. It allows states to share their ideals in subtle yet prof...

In PNG, conversations about the future of higher education often lead us back to a core issue: quality. While infrastructure, access, and funding are all part of the equation, it is the quality of the learning experience—especially at the university level—that determines the kind of graduates we produce and the direction our country takes. This quality is inseparable from the people who teach, research, and mentor within our academic institutions. Screenshot of the International Relations units offered at DWU When we examine the composition of faculties in PNG’s universities, an uncomfortable reality emerges. How many Papua New Guinean academics hold PhDs? Of those, how many fall within the active academic age bracket of 35 to 50, where one typically finds peak intellectual output and energy? And perhaps most critically, how many are publishing regularly in peer-reviewed journals—both locally and internationally? These questions reveal a deeper concern. A university without research-a...