PNG Medical University set to appoint interim council ahead of 2026 launch

Preparations are underway for the appointment of the interim council of the new Papua New Guinea Medical University, a key step towards selecting its senior management team and academic staff.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Executive Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Nakapi Tefuarani, confirmed that the interim council will be appointed in the coming weeks.

“For the new university, we are using a presidential system,” Professor Tefuarani said.
“We will have a President and three Vice Presidents who will oversee the three main divisions in Clinical Sciences, Health Sciences, and Corporate Faculty.”

Unlike the University of Papua New Guinea [UPNG] which operates under a Vice-Chancellor structure, he said the Medical University will adopt a President-led model to better manage its specialized faculties.

Once the interim council is established, it will be responsible for appointing the university’s top management and academic leadership.

Professor Tefuarani said the recent approval of the PNG Medical University Bill in Parliament was timely and has paved the way for the university’s operational rollout ahead of the 2026 academic year.

He added that the National Government has allocated over K500 million to support the university’s establishment and expansion.

“The aim is that after five years, we will have more than 2,000 students enrolled,” he said.
“For 2026, we’re looking to increase student numbers from around 900 to over 1,000.”

Professor Tefuarani said the university’s establishment is a major boost in the country’s health education sector, strengthening local capacity to train medical professionals and address national health workforce shortages.