USP head sets focus, promotes ‘vuvale’ concept

By WANSOLWARA STAFF

The University of the South Pacific will continue to build on its success over the past 50 years as the region’s top institution for higher learning takes on a new direction under the leadership of newly-appointed vice-chancellor and president, Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

Prof Ahluwalia made the commitment during his first meeting with members of the media recently at USP’s Laucala campus in Suva, in which he shared his vision and plans for the university.

“When I was offered this job, I felt it was the job for me because I strongly believe the Pacific is where the world’s future is,” Prof Ahluwalia said.

“We are in the middle of revising the strategic plan, which we will streamline, put a light touch on so I can add my vision to it.

“We are keen on bringing in new programmes, which we believe are essential to Pacific Islanders’ needs, especially those Pacific values I am passionate about like ‘vuvale’, how we are a community, a family and it’s something that we, USP, have practised.

“The Pacific region will be our family. We might have our differences but at the end of the day we always come together. Every single graduate from USP is an agent for development and has that opportunity to go and give back to the community.”

Prof Ahluwalia considers himself a “chief servant” of USP rather than a “CEO”, and believes his role at the university is to serve not only students and staff but communities that empowered him.

“Education is the right of every single person. It is world-class education that every Pacific Islander has the right to. The critical factor is that this university creates those ladders of opportunity to get the best education so that graduates can go back and serve communities the same way I hope to serve USP,” he said.

Prof Ahluwalia took charge of the region’s biggest regional university on January 1 and has a special interest to promote a culture of strong research and innovation.

He holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, and completed his PhD at Flinders University in Australia.

A prolific publisher and author of four books, Prof Ahluwalia was a professor in the politics department at Adelaide University for 14 years. He was previously a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley and Goldsmith College at the University of London, where he was also director of the Centre for Postcolonial Studies. He was also a professor at UC San Diego.