A meeting will be scheduled soon to address the escalating situation at the University of the South Pacific (USP), where staff members are calling for the removal of Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro stated that the timing of the meeting will depend on the availability of the University Council. He mentioned, “We have written to the secretariat of the USP Council and requested a special council meeting. We are currently in discussions about the meeting date and hope to finalize it very shortly. This will allow the council members to be notified of the date and possibly the venue. Our goal is to select a date that ensures all members are available to attend and discuss.”
A secret ballot conducted by the union on August 14 revealed that over 90 percent of its members are in favor of Professor Ahluwalia’s dismissal. The Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations supervised this ballot, which saw more than 550 members registered. The unions have claimed that Professor Ahluwalia has failed to demonstrate good governance concerning staff welfare.
At the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Tonga earlier this month, Professor Ahluwalia assured leaders of the university’s critical role in facilitating social and economic transformation in the Blue Pacific through a skilled society. He also briefed attendees on significant global changes impacting the Higher Education sector, including shifts in student demographics and labor mobility issues. “USP is responding to these issues through cross-cutting themes of consolidation, transformation, innovation, and sustainability,” he told the forum.