BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
LAST year the school of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences of SINU carried out the inaugural Australia-Solomon Islands Pacific Island Environmental and Community Health programme for 17 students from the University of California, USA.
This year a similar programme is to be conducted for 19 students from University of California.
Before arriving in Solomon Islands, these students spent six weeks of intensive study in Australia.
They will continue their learning experience in Solomon Islands, building on the knowledge related to environmental and community health programmes.
This culminates with a research project in a chosen field; water sanitation hygiene, social or natural resource (pollution) issues in Solomon Islands etc.
The project research is mostly conducted in the Dunde community of Munda in Western province.
Field activities in Solomon Islands will include focus group discussions, key informant interviews, household surveys, transect survey and resource and water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) mapping.
The University of Queensland’s International Programmes Office coordinates this programme.
Meanwhile, another leading university in the United States, University of Utah has commenced a joint research programme with SINU.
Acting Vice Chancellor of SINU Professor Basil Marasinghe said collaboration with renowned universities in the world shows the recognition gained by SINU in recent years.
