The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP) was officially inaugurated on October 24, 2024, in Samoa, attended by His Majesty, King Charles III, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The KCFP is an innovative and ambitious interdisciplinary initiative aimed at generating transformative, sustainable effects throughout the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
This program will be conducted in collaboration with members of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), with The University of South Pacific and the University of West Indies acting as main regional hubs, alongside various local and Commonwealth entities, including the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.
The initiative focuses on building capacities in essential areas like education, health, and disaster resilience engineering. Furthermore, it offers local authorities and civil service teams practical tools and knowledge to enhance long-term resilience by addressing intertwined development challenges comprehensively.
Through the establishment of a distinguished network of “King’s Fellows,” the KCFP aims to promote partnerships, share knowledge, and encourage collaborative problem-solving among Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Professor Pal Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, co-hosted the launch event along with university staff and approximately 50 students from USP’s member countries.
Professor Ahluwalia referred to the launch of the KCFP as a crucial step in enhancing capacity building and educational accessibility across SIDS. He expressed excitement about this remarkable initiative by King Charles III and emphasized USP’s role as a regional hub in partnership with ACU and the University of West Indies.
He noted that the programme holds the potential to develop a highly skilled workforce, vital for fostering innovation, economic diversification, and sustainable development in SIDS. Additionally, Professor Ahluwalia thanked ACU for its efforts in bringing the KCFP to life.
The KCFP will operate under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, which has positively impacted the lives of over 38,000 individuals since being established by Commonwealth education ministers in 1959.
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