Friday 6th February 2026, Port Moresby – Immersing young professionals in anti-corruption work will forge a generation of high-principled leaders whose commitment to integrity will serve as the bedrock for a better Papua New Guinea. This is the goal of Transparency International PNG’s (TIPNG) internship programs.
At the formal closing of its 2025-2026 Internship Program, TIPNG farewelled six promising students that undertook a comprehensive 13-week practical program in the front-lines of governance work. This year’s cohort represented a multidisciplinary front:
- Legal Interns from the University of Papua New Guinea School of Law: Miss Rhoda Baisiro, Miss Vanessa Boga, and Mr Chris Marpena.
- Communication Intern from the University of Technology, Communication for Development: Miss Alexandrea Manu.
- Accounting Interns from the University of Papua New Guinea: Miss Mercy Waingi and Mr Newman Lerry.
The Legal and Communication Interns contributed significantly across various organizational functions including research, updating and reviewing of campaign briefs, drafting policy briefs, including event planning and coordination, photography, media monitoring, stakeholder engagement, minute-taking and supporting the function of TIPNG’s Anti-Corruption Help Desk.
The Accounting interns were given the full experience of financial operations, payroll and HR support, and audit readiness.
A hallmark of the 2025-2026 program was the Speaker Series, which provided the interns with direct mentorship with the legal leaders of Allens, Dentons and the PNG Law Society; International partners such as the Ambassador to the EU Delegation in Papua New Guinea, Her Excellency Erika Hasznos. Inspirational sessions were also held with leaders in the business and finance sector from Deloitte and the Financial Analysis & Supervision Unit of the Bank of PNG, including media partners – Impact Media.
“At TIPNG, our internship program is not just a work-experience placement. Our mission is to empower a new generation of high-principled professionals. In an environment where the temptation to compromise can be high, we provide these interns with the moral compass and practical skills necessary to resist corruption. They leave us not just as better lawyers, accountants, or communicators, but as stronger citizens who will serve as the bedrock of PNG’s national integrity for decades to come,” said TIPNG CEO, Ms Arianne Kassman.
From this cohort, TIPNG has taken on its 9th cohort of the Legal Interns, affirmed through a Memorandum of Understanding with the UPNG School of Law. The program intake also highlights TIPNG’s expanding impact, incorporating its third communications and second accounting cohorts to foster integrity across diverse professional fields.
