Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting held in Tonga received assurances regarding the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) pivotal role in fostering social and economic transformation in the Blue Pacific through the development of a skilled society.
During the meeting, USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, addressed the Forum leaders along with other heads of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies. He emphasized that USP will persist in training and producing educated graduates who will play a crucial part in creating a dynamic and productive knowledge economy, essential for achieving the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy.
The leaders acknowledged USP’s position as the leading institution for higher education, training, research, and policy advice in the region. Professor Ahluwalia also praised the Chair of PIF and Prime Minister of Tonga for placing ‘Education and Health’ back on the leaders’ agenda after nearly ten years.
Additionally, the leaders recognized the significance of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF), hosted by USP, as a vital tool for promoting resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education systems throughout the region.
Climate Change was a prominent topic during discussions and side events, with Professor Ahluwalia introducing the recently established ‘Centre for Sustainable Futures’ at USP, which aims to enhance regional efforts in addressing climate change challenges, including developing resilient and adaptive economies.
By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and consolidating expertise, the Centre is designed to close gaps and synergize the strengths of various specialized institutions to tackle climate change comprehensively within the Pacific Island Countries.
Professor Ahluwalia reiterated USP’s dedication to bolstering existing regional frameworks that support the development of information and communication technology (ICT) in the Pacific, advocating for a focus on cybersecurity at the upcoming ICT Ministerial Meeting and the creation of a governance framework that would incorporate the Regional Regulatory Authority (RRA). This work will be done in conjunction with all CROP agencies.
Currently, USP chairs both the CROP ICT Working Group and the CROP Working Group on Human Resource Development and is engaged in all other working groups through its membership. Furthermore, he updated the leaders on significant global changes affecting the Higher Education Sector, noting the evolving student demographics and challenges surrounding labour mobility.
“USP is addressing these challenges through cross-cutting themes of Consolidation, Transformation, Innovation, and Sustainability,” Professor Ahluwalia concluded.