Melanesian Land Studies Centre (MLSC) - Papua New Guinea University of Technology

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The Melanesian Land Studies Centre (MLSC) was established in 1983 as a research and consultancy arm of the School of Surveying & Lands Studies. Its objectives is to:

Facilitate the cooperation and coordination of disciplines involved in the study relating to land management, land administration, land development, land adjudication, land use planning, urbanization and housing studies, land and geographic information systems, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, Geodesy, leading to land surveying and mapping, infrastructure development planning.
Provide consultancy, continuing professional development, and advisory services on land and resource development/management related matters in PNG and in the South Pacific Region, in keeping with the dynamic requirements of the industry.
Support research and development of technology appropriate to land and allied disciplines.
Encourage, nationally and internationally, collaboration, sharing, and exchange of information with institutes and universities with similar interests.
Publish papers, reports, and journals related to land-related issues regularly.
Encourage the collection, storage, and dissemination of information related to various allied disciplines, undertake, support, and collaborative research in land and land-related disciplines.

Vision

To be an internationally recognized Centre of Excellence which deals with a wide range of issues relating to modern land development and resources management that are of academic and socio-economic significance to Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific Region.

Mission

To serve as a central source of an extensive range of knowledge, expertise, and technological skills in land and resource management in PNG and the Pacific region.

📚 Research with the Centre

The Centre is proud to have supported the following persons, who are either staff members of the DSLS or students in pursuing their masters or doctorate degrees:

Student Name	Program/Year	Topic	Discipline	Remark
Cathy Koloa	M.Phil/2	Hydro-morphic Analysis of Markham River Basin and Harzard Management of Lae Coast using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques	Graduated with M.Phil in Geomatics in April 2015	Continued in PhD studies in 2015
Robert Rosa	M.Phil/2	GNSS Survey and Vertical Adjustment of Madang Network by GNSS	M.Phil in Geomatics	Graduated in April 2016
Jerry Mile	M.Phil/2	Identification and Analysis of Land Dispute Factors: A study of Boundary, Ownership, Types of Disputes and Assessment (BODA) factors in Simbu Province, PNG	M.Phil in Property Studies	Graduated in April 2016
Glen Yali	M.Phil/2	Assessment of Above-ground Biomass and Carbon Stocks Utilising Remote Sensing & GIS Techniques in Yalu Community Wet Tropical Lowland Forest, Morobe, PNG	M.Phil in Geomatics	Graduated in April 2016
Lepani Karigawa	M.Phil/2	Issues Affecting Management of Incorporated Land Groups and their Sustainability in PNG	M.Phil in Property Studies	Graduated in April 2016

🏆 Achievements and Milestones

MLSC is proud of its support to the Department of Surveying & Lands Studies’ Research Committee’s effort to launch the Melanesian Journal of Geomatics and Property Studies. The journal had its inaugural publication of 6 peer reviewed research papers authored by staff of the DSLS in November 2015.

MLSC is also proud of its support financially the staff and students of the DSLS in pursuing their master’s and doctorate degrees, which are mentioned under 2 “Ongoing Research with the Centre”. Most of these staff and student’s thesis have been assessed and recommended for conferring of their degrees in 2016.

MLSC continues to retrain experts and interested personnel in short CPD courses offered by MLSC every year.

🗂️ Consultancies

The Centre acts as a conduit for staff to be involved in consultancies such as Short Courses, Valuation Services, Surveying Services, GIS and Remote Sensing services, and Hire of Survey Equipment. The various short courses that have been run include the following:

Development Appraisal and Feasibility/Viability Studies for Economic Sustainability in PNG;
Land Administration Process, Documentation and Land Disputes;
Land Compensation Assessment;
MapInfo Level 1 and GIS;
MapInfo Level 2;
GIS, Spatial Analysis, and Thematic Mapping using ArcGIS 9.1;
Introduction to Surveying using GPS;
Satellite Image Processing using ERDAS Imagine 8.5;
Automated Surveying System; and
High Precision Surveying and Processing data using GNSS note.

All other consultancy charges are guided by industry-set fees and market rates. Fees can also be negotiated as circumstances dictate. From gross earnings, expenses (if any) are deducted. The 65/35 policy applies to the Net Earnings, where the facilitator to earn 65% of the net earnings, 15% goes to the MLSC, 10% goes to the DSLS, and 10% goes to the University.

📈 Going Forward

MLSC considers the need to review its existing strategic operational plan as paramount to align itself with the Unitech Strategic Plan 2020 to 2024. Its review process began in Semester 2, 2024. Importantly, MLSC should have the mandate to employ personnel to work under the centre to be realistically able to realise its vision, key objectives, and meaningfully contribute to the Unitech Strategic Plan.