Problems and possible solutions for training Papua New Guinea undergraduates to think creatively are considered, with a focus on engineering students. Since many engineering graduates in Papua New Guinea work in isolated outposts with no one to teach them on the job, a practical problem-solving emphasis is needed in their college courses. Engineering students also need to study social, ethical, and political topics, since human problems compound engineering problems. Presently, education for engineers follows the traditional method of teaching, much of which involves rote learning. In order to produce creative and inventive engineers, attention should be focused on the process and performance of the overall system as well as results and details of operations, and methods of inquiry as well as knowledge. Cultural and educational influences in the country that affect engineering education include: accounting for the unknown in supernatural terms; a tendency to approach the world with certainty or ready-made formulas rather than doubt; education that provides few precedents for experimentation with new materials, designs, or approaches; little exposure during childhood to books and modern toys; Papua New Guineans' difficulty with certain mathematical concepts; and English language deficits. (SW)