A meeting will be arranged shortly to address the ongoing pressure at the University of the South Pacific (USP), where staff are calling for the removal of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia.
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro indicated that the meeting’s timing will depend on the availability of the University Council. “We have reached out to the USP Council secretariat to request a special council meeting,” he stated. “We are currently discussing potential dates and aim to finalize one soon so council members can be informed about the meeting date and location. Our goal is to pick a date that accommodates all members for a productive discussion.”
A secret ballot conducted by the union on August 14 showed that over 90 percent of members were in favor of dismissing Professor Ahluwalia. This ballot was supervised by the Ministry of Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations, and more than 550 individuals have registered as union members. The union has raised concerns about a perceived lack of good governance from Professor Ahluwalia regarding staff welfare.
In related news, during the recent 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Tonga, Mr. Ahluwalia reassured leaders regarding the university’s role in driving social and economic transformation in the Blue Pacific. He provided insights on significant global changes affecting the higher education sector, including changes in student demographics and labor mobility issues. “USP is addressing these challenges through themes of consolidation, transformation, innovation, and sustainability,” he mentioned at the forum.