The Prime Minister of Samoa and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi officially opened The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Research Week Monday at the University’s Laucala Campus in Fiji.
Tuilaepa said that USP has contributed towards the shaping of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism (FPR) through intellectual dialogue and interface with people who are actively engaged in redefining the way the Framework should work.
“We see USP as having a multi-faceted role in the Pacific Region, besides its core function as the provider of quality higher education and research in the region,” he said.
While stating that USP plays a significant role as a regional organisation, PM Tuilaepa said that the Pacific Plan Review of 2013 pays tribute to USP as one of the few examples of success in Pacific Regionalism.
He added that as part of its mission as being the region’s premier quality university, USP also plays an active and key role in regional engagement through the mechanism of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP), leading the CROP ICT and Human Resources Development (HRD) Working Groups.
He also noted that USP also participates in other CROP Working Groups, attends major meeting of regional ministers and PIF leaders and participates in Smaller Island States Leaders Meeting, Polynesian Leaders Group and other similar meetings.
Talking about the Research Week, which is from 27 – 31 August 2018, Tuilaepa said that the event is an important part of the 50th Anniversary of the regional institution.
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