Protest Erupts at USP: Calls for Leadership Change Ignite Tensions

Today, members of the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the USP Staff Union held a protest at the main campus in Laucala, Suva, demanding the removal of Vice Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia. The demonstration was bolstered by support from students who voiced their desire for Ahluwalia to step down and for Dr. Tamara Osborne, the recently ousted AUSPS President, to be reinstated.

This protest coincides with the USP Council’s gathering in Auckland, New Zealand, where critical discussions regarding the leadership at the university are taking place. Dr. Sevanaia Rakai, an AUSPS Executive Member, expressed a belief that the Council would focus on an exit package for Professor Ahluwalia, with updates expected within two days following the meeting.

Dr. Rakai articulated the sentiment among protestors, stating that the university’s reputation has suffered while Professor Ahluwalia remains in his position. Still fresh in everyone’s memory, is the assertion made earlier this year by Education Minister Aseri Radrodro, confirming that Ahluwalia had verbally resigned during a council meeting last year in the Cook Islands. However, it was later clarified that he had not formally resigned, and Pro-Chancellor Siosiua Utoikamanu confirmed that his contract is active until August 2026.

In the context of ongoing protests, Professor Ahluwalia has faced additional criticism for his absence during this tumultuous period, as he is currently attending official engagements abroad, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.

This clash between the staff unions and administration underscores a broader challenge that often plagues educational institutions—leadership accountability and governance. Supporters of a change in leadership argue that a Pacific islander should head the university to better represent its community and address these pressures more effectively.

With the university’s leadership under scrutiny, the outcome of the ongoing discussions and protests might pave the way for significant changes at the University of the South Pacific, showing the influential role that staff and student voices can play in institutional governance.