A meeting will be scheduled soon to address the escalating situation at the University of the South Pacific (USP), where staff are calling for the removal of Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia. Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro announced that the meeting will be organized according to the availability of the University Council.
“We have reached out to the USP Council secretariat to request a special council meeting,” Mr. Radrodro stated. “We are currently working on finalizing a date for the meeting and hope to complete this process soon. This will allow council members to be informed about the date and possibly the location.”
The union held a secret ballot on August 14, which indicated that over 90 percent of its members support the dismissal of Professor Ahluwalia. The Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations facilitated this ballot, which saw more than 550 individuals joining as members. The unions have expressed concerns regarding perceived poor governance by Professor Ahluwalia, particularly concerning staff welfare.
In a related context, Mr. Ahluwalia recently participated in the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Tonga, where he affirmed the university’s pivotal role in social and economic transformation within the Blue Pacific through the development of a skilled society. He provided insights to leaders regarding significant global changes affecting the Higher Education sector, including evolving student demographics and challenges tied to labor mobility.
“USP is addressing these challenges through themes of consolidation, transformation, innovation, and sustainability,” Mr. Ahluwalia informed the forum.