The Yegiora Files

The forthcoming launch of PNG’s new Foreign Policy White Paper should be a landmark moment in our diplomatic history. Yet, for me as an international relations academic, there is something deeply unsettling. I work at a university that has taught international relations for more than a decade, producing graduates who now serve across the public sector. Many of our alumni have gone directly into the Department of Foreign Affairs, with at least three currently working in the Foreign Policy Coordination Office. And yet, neither the university nor myself—as an academic shaping the very minds that will implement this White Paper—was consulted or given sight of the draft prepared by the eminent persons group. I first taught the unit IR428 Foreign Policy in PNG on my own, and for the last four years Mr. Lahui Ako and I have been co-teaching it online—combining academic insight with practitioner experience to strengthen foreign policy education in PNG. This raises a legitimate question: does...

If I were given the opportunity to review the Australia–PNG Defence Treaty, I would approach it through the lens of national security and strategic autonomy. This treaty is being hailed as a historic milestone, but as an IR academic, my responsibility would be to go beyond the celebratory rhetoric and ask whether it truly makes PNG more secure, sovereign, and strategically resilient. My main argument is simple: the treaty must be measured not by its symbolism, but by how well it protects PNG’s interests across eight key dimensions. The first area I would examine is strategic alignment . Any defence arrangement must sit within PNG’s own guiding documents—our National Security Policy, Defence White Paper, and the forthcoming Foreign Policy White Paper. The core question is whether the treaty strengthens PNG’s long-term security under Vision 2050 and MTDP IV, or whether it primarily anchors us into Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Without alignment, we risk fighting someone else’s batt...

PNG’s National Schools of Excellence Policy 2020 represents one of the most ambitious reforms in the country’s education system. At its core, the policy recognizes that STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—is central to national development, global competitiveness, and long-term economic resilience . By upgrading National High Schools and select secondary schools into Schools of Excellence, the government aims to produce a generation of Papua New Guineans equipped to innovate, invent, and solve complex problems in a rapidly changing world. Cover of PNG’s National Schools of Excellence Policy 2020 , issued by the Department of Education to drive STEM-focused reforms and nurture the country’s future innovators. The policy is rooted in broader national visions. PNG’s Vision 2050 , Development Strategic Plan 2030 , and Medium-Term Development Plans all emphasize the creation of a skilled workforce capable of driving a blended economy—combining extractive industries, se...

PNG’s evolving security relationships have begun to converge in a way few predicted. With the Defence Treaty now signed with Australia and deepening diplomatic ties with Israel, Port Moresby faces a pivotal decision: should PNG sign a similar Defence Treaty with Israel, or settle for a structured cooperation framework? Recent statements such as “Israel is happy to help PNG” on the The National and past reports of security partnerships with Israel mentioned on PNG Facts sharpen this question. The Christian identity of PNG plays a far greater role than mere symbolism. Many in the country view Israel not only through a religious lens but as a partner whose values they share. Serving alongside the Israel Defense Forces, should a treaty be agreed, would not contradict PNG’s spiritual or moral foundations but reinforce them. Combined with a Defence Treaty with Australia, it could cement PNG’s identity as a Western-aligned, values-driven nation. Yet distance and geopolitics complicate the...

PNG has positioned itself as one of Israel’s most loyal partners in the Pacific, both symbolically and diplomatically. In recent years, PNG has repeatedly voted with Israel at the United Nations, standing in the minority against resolutions that supported Palestinian statehood, called for ceasefires in Gaza, or condemned Israel’s military actions. At the same time, PNG took the bold step of opening an embassy in Jerusalem, a move that placed it firmly in Israel’s corner on one of the most contentious issues in global diplomacy. These gestures, though costly in terms of international perception, signal PNG’s commitment to its relationship with Israel and create a legitimate expectation of tangible benefits in return. Prime Minister James Marape with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the official opening of PNG’s Embassy in Jerusalem — a landmark moment underscoring PNG’s loyal support for Israel on the global stage. The United Nations voting record highlights PNG’s consist...

In recent months, I have been steadily working on a journal article that documents how I used LinkedIn as a digital platform to collect data for my PhD research. The article is being prepared for Contemporary PNG Studies: DWU Research Journal , and it focuses on the methodological innovations and practical lessons from recruiting participants through social media. This is an important piece of work because it highlights how digital platforms can bridge the gap between geographically dispersed research populations and limited fieldwork resources in PNG. The central argument of the article is straightforward: in contexts like PNG, where students and alumni are scattered across multiple institutions and even across borders, traditional face-to-face data collection is not always viable. Instead, professional networks such as LinkedIn provide a powerful alternative. My experience demonstrates that when used strategically, LinkedIn can generate higher participation rates than institutional ...

The development of any new academic program at Divine Word University (DWU) is not simply a matter of drafting a curriculum and submitting it for teaching. It is governed by a structured framework — the Program Development and Approval Policy (AC6) — designed to safeguard academic quality, institutional credibility, and national alignment. For a program like the proposed Master’s in Foreign Policy Analysis , this process is not just procedural; it is essential to ensuring the program’s long-term viability and acceptance across PNG’s higher education sector. DWU’s Program Development and Approval Policy (AC6), last updated November 2023, provides the framework for accreditation and quality assurance of all academic programs. The first step in the process is the preparation of a Program Specification Document (PSD) . This is not a bureaucratic formality but a comprehensive dossier that captures the program’s rationale, structure, intended learning outcomes, graduate attributes, resourc...