USP reaffirms key role in social and economic transformation of Blue Pacific Strategy

Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga were assured of The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) leading role in the social and economic transformation of the Blue Pacific through a skilled society.

While speaking at the meeting, USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia highlighted that USP would continue to train and produce educated and skilled graduates who would contribute to an agile and highly productive knowledge economy that is crucial in the realisation of the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy.

Climate Change remained a key area of discussion at the sessions and side events, with Professor Ahluwalia briefing the leaders about the newly established ‘Centre for Sustainable Futures’ at USP as a gamechanger in the region’s collective efforts to address climate change-related issues, including building resilient, adaptive and transformative economies.

Professor Ahluwalia reaffirmed USP’s commitment to strengthening various existing regional structures that coordinate and cooperate with the development of ICT in the Pacific, ensuring that cybersecurity be prioritised at the ICT Ministerial Meeting and developing a governance framework incorporating the Regional Regulatory Authority (RRA).

He also briefed leaders on the significant global shifts that are taking place across the Higher Education Sector, with a rapidly changing student profile and issues related to labour mobility.

He says USP is responding to these issues through cross-cutting themes of Consolidation, Transformation, Innovation and Sustainability.