In the latest development of the University of the South Pacific’s graduation season, 1,259 students from four faculties crossed the stage today at the Vodafone Arena in Suva as the first of two Laucala graduation sessions took place. His Majesty King Tupou VI, Chancellor of USP and King of Tonga, formally conferred the degrees, diplomas and certificates, while Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council & Interim Management Group Right Honourable Siosiua Tuitalukua Tupou Utoikamanu delivered an address stressing the graduates’ resilience amid global upheaval.
The graduates hailed from the School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), the School of Business and Management (SBM), Pacific Technical and Further Education (PTAFE), and the School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Oceans and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS). The ceremony showcased both academic achievement and cultural heritage, organisers said. Over the two-day graduation program a total of 2,026 graduates will receive certificates, with women making up a significant majority of the cohort — 1,313 of the graduates across both sessions.
In his speech, Pro‑Chancellor Utoikamanu framed the graduates’ achievement against a backdrop of international uncertainty. “Around the world, institutions are being tested. Communities are grappling with conflict, climate shocks, rising costs, technological disruption, and the profound implications of artificial intelligence,” he told the assembly, invoking the region’s voyaging ancestors as a model of adaptability. “When the winds, currents and stars shifted, they did not panic. They adjusted their course. That is what your education at USP has prepared you to do.”
Students on stage echoed that sentiment. Regina Pickering, a Bachelor of Science student from Lautoka specialising in Software Engineering, described the moment as the culmination of sacrifice and family support. “Right now, there are a lot of mixed feelings, both overwhelming and nervous at the same time,” she said, thanking her parents and crediting prayer and perseverance for getting her to graduation. Pickering said she chose software engineering because “technology is the future” and expressed a desire to contribute to Fiji’s digital development.
The MBA and Session One graduate speaker, Gideon Leweniqila, spoke on the personal transformation that learning at USP produced. He said academic training replaced instinct with strategy and broadened perspective, and praised the bonds formed in late-night study sessions and debates. “The Pacific does not need us to be comfortable. It does not need more passengers. It needs navigators in critical thinking,” he said, urging peers to apply disciplined scholarship to complex regional challenges.
With today’s session complete, the university will continue ceremonies tomorrow to confer awards to the remainder of the 2,026 graduates. The two-day event underlines USP’s role as a regional institution shaping professional capacity across the Pacific at a time when leaders and specialists are increasingly called on to tackle cross-border challenges such as climate change, economic volatility and rapid technological change.
Leave a comment