H.E. Ambassador Stephen Pokanis (left) receives a token of appreciation from CPSC Director General Prof. (Dr.) Suresh K. Dhameja (right) during a courtesy visit

The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) reinforced its partnership with Papua New Guinea (PNG) on April 8, 2026, through a courtesy visit to His Excellency Stephen Pokanis, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea in the Philippines.

Led by CPSC Director General Prof. (Dr.) Suresh K. Dhameja, the visit formally welcomed Ambassador Pokanis as the newest member of the CPSC Governing Board and introduced him to the College’s mandate, programs, and regional initiatives in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

During the meeting, Dr. Dhameja highlighted CPSC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with PNG, noting the successful resumption of both face-to-face and online training programs for PNG professionals in the current fiscal year. He also shared the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with PNG’s Ministry of Education to set off the accreditation activities under the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC).

Ambassador Pokanis expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and acknowledged CPSC’s longstanding contributions to regional development. He affirmed his awareness of the College’s initiatives and conveyed his commitment to further strengthening PNG’s engagement with CPSC.

Likewise, Dr. Dhameja expressed his sincere appreciation for the Ambassador’s support and for accommodating his courtesy visit. He also personally invited the Ambassador to the upcoming CPSC Governing Board Meeting in June. The visit revitalized the partnership between CPSC and Papua New Guinea, anchored in a common vision of advancing quality TVET and expanding opportunities for capacity development across the region.

For this fiscal year, CPSC successfully conducted the In-Country Training Program on “Quality Management in TVET through APACC Accreditation System” from September 23 to 25, 2025, and the Training of Trainers on Automotive Technology Using Virtual TVET from October 6 to 9, 2025. These training programs are significant as they mark CPSC’s renewed engagement in Papua New Guinea after no programs had been held in the country since 2018.