University of the South Pacific

History

Discussion of a regional university for the South Pacific began in the early 1950s, when an investigation by the South Pacific Commission recommended the creation of a "central institution" for vocational training in the South Pacific, with a university as a distant goal. In December 1962, the Fijian Legislative Assembly discussed establishing a university in Fiji. In 1964, New Zealand proposed the establishment of a regional teachers' training college in Suva.

In 1965, the governments of Great Britain and New Zealand appointed a "Higher Education Mission to the South Pacific", chaired by Sir Charles Morris, to investigate "the future education requirements of the South Pacific area" and recommend the type of level of institutions needed. In 1966, the Mission reported back, recommending the establishment of "fully autonomous university comprehending within itself, as well as Faculties of Arts and Science, the Fiji School of Medicine, the School of Agriculture in Fiji, a College for the education and training of secondary teachers, the Pacific Theological College, and, in so far its activities in the field of diploma courses are concerned, the Derrick Technical Institute". The Mission recommended that it be called the University of the South Pacific. The former Royal New Zealand Air Force seaplane base at Laucala Bay in Fiji was recommended as a suitable location. A subsequent report by Norman Alexander fleshed out the proposal, and in 1967, the Fijian government passed an ordinance establishing the university's interim council. In February 1970, this was replaced with a royal charter.

The university opened on 5 February 1968, with Colin Aikman as its first vice-chancellor. Initially, teaching was limited to preliminary courses, the equivalent of New Zealand's School Certificate and University Entrance. Degree teaching began in 1969, with a school of natural resources, a school of education, and a school of social and economic development offering interdisciplinary courses. The first graduation ceremony took place on 2 December 1971, with 49 students receiving degrees, diplomas and certificates.

In the 1970s, the university began establishing regional extension centres to deliver continuing education, correspondence and extramural courses. It also began to advocate for Pacific regionalism and adopt a distinct "Pacific flavour", with Vice-Chancellor James Maraj arguing that the university should become "truly a university of the peoples of the Pacific". Its students and academics played a major role in the creative writing scene in the Pacific, with literary journals such as Mana, Faikava and Sinnet arising from its campuses.

Governance

The university is governed by a council, chaired by the pro-chancellor. The council consists of the ministers of education of member states, additional representatives from Fiji, Samoa, Australia and New Zealand, staff and student representatives, and additional members co-opted by the council. The titular head of the council is the chancellor, a position which rotates among the heads of state and heads of government of the university's members. The King of Tonga, Tupou VI, has served as chancellor since 1 July 2025. An independent University Grants Committee meets every three years to advise member and donor countries on funding levels.

Current Leadership

The University of the South Pacific is governed by a Chancellor and the University Council, with day-to-day academic and administrative operations led by the Vice-Chancellor and senior executive team. As of 2026, the Vice-Chancellor position is vacant, and key responsibilities are being carried out by senior executives, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), acting Deputy Vice-Chancellors responsible for Research and Innovation and Regional Campuses and Global Engagement, and the Chief Operating Officer.

Current Leadership of USP

Chancellor: King Tupou VI

Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council: Siosiua Utoikamanu

Vice-Chancellor and President: Vacant

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education): Jito Vanualailai

Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Innovation): Gurmeet Singh

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Regional Campuses and Global Engagement): Vacant

Chief Operating Officer: Walter Fraser

Visitor of the University: Daniel Fatiaki

Chancellor

The Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University of the South Pacific (USP). The office rotates among the heads of state or government of USP's member countries and symbolizes the university's regional character. The Chancellor presides over major ceremonies, confers degrees, and serves as a representative of the university throughout the Pacific region. The term is roughly about a year long before a new one is elected.

Head of State of Samoa (2010–2011)

Governor-General of the Solomon Islands (2011–2012)

Ulu o Tokelau (2012–2013)

King of Tonga (2013–2014)

Governor-General of Tuvalu (2014–2015)

President of Vanuatu (2015–2016)

Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (2016–2017)

Jioji Konrote (2017–2018)

Taneti Maamau (2018–2019)

Hilda C. Heine (2019–2020)

David Kabua (2020)

Lionel Aingimea (2020–2021)

Dalton Emani Makamau Tagelagi (2021–2022)

Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II (2022–2023)

Sir David Vunagi (2023–2024)

Alapati Tavite (2024–2025)

King Tupou VI (2025–2026)

Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani (2026–present)

Pro-Chancellor

The Pro-Chancellor is the senior officer who chairs the University Council, the governing body of the University of the South Pacific (USP). Working closely with the Vice-Chancellor and Council members, the Pro-Chancellor provides governance leadership, oversees strategic direction, and represents the interests of USP's member countries.

Laʻulu Fetauimalemau Mataʻafa (1971–1976)

Langi Kavaliku (1976–1981)

Mosese Qionibaravi (1981–1985)

Henry Naisali (1985–1990)

Ieremia Tabai (1991–1997)

Savenaca Siwatibau (1997–1999)

Langi Kavaliku (2000–2006)

Fiame Naomi Mata'afa (2006–2012)

Ikbal Jannif (2012–2015)

Fekitamoeloa 'Utoikamanu (Acting; 2015)

Winston Thompson (2016–2021)

Hilda C. Heine (2022–2023)

Pat Walsh (Acting; 2023–2024)

Siosiua ʻUtoikamanu (2024–present)

Vice Chancellor

The following people have held the role of vice-chancellor:

Colin Aikman (1968–1974)

James Maraj (1975–1982)

Frank Brosnahan (1982–1983)

Geoffrey Caston (1983–1992)

Esekia Solofa (1992–2001)

Savenaca Siwatibau (2001–2003)

Anthony Tarr (2005–2007)

Rajesh Chandra (2007–2018)

Pal Ahluwalia (2018–2025)

Vacent (2025–2026)

TBD (2026-?)

Current Deputy Vice-Chancellors

Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Education): Jito Vanualailai

Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Research and Innovation): Gurmeet Singh

Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Regional Campuses and Global Engagement): Vacant

University Council

The University of the South Pacific (USP) Council is the university’s highest governing body. It oversees the institution’s strategic direction, finances, administration, and overall governance. The Council includes representatives from USP’s member countries, staff, students, and regional partners, and is responsible for ensuring that the university fulfils its mission of serving the Pacific region.

Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council: Siosiua Utoikamanu

Cook Islands – Vaine Mokoroa (Minister for Education)

Fiji – Aseri Radrodro (Minister for Education) + additional senior government nominees (Navin Raj Shayam; Permanent Secretary for Education, Shiri Gounder; Permanent Secretary for Finance)

Samoa – Aiono Ekeroma (Minister for Education) + additional senior government nominees (Saoleitiiti Betham-Vaai; Minister of Finance)

Tonga – Mo'ale 'Otunuku (Minister for Education)

Tuvalu – Hamoa Holona (Minister for Education)

Vanuatu – Simil Youse (Minister for Education)

Solomon Islands – Tozen Leokana (Minister for Education)

Kiribati – Ruateki Tekaiara (Minister for Education)

Nauru – Asterio Appi (Minister for Education)

Niue – Sonya Talagi (Minister for Education)

Tokelau – Kelihiano Kalolo (Minister for Education)

Marshall Islands – Gerald Zackios (Minister for Education)

Dispute with Fijian government

In 2019, Ahluwalia raised concerns about mismanagement and abuse of office at USP under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Chandra. An investigation by New Zealand accounting firm BDO substantiated the allegations, and the report was subsequently leaked online. In June 2020, a special council meeting led by Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson suspended Ahluwalia for unspecified "misconduct". Staff protesting the suspension were questioned by Fijian police. On 19 June Ahluwalia was reinstated by a full meeting of the USP council, and the allegations against him were dismissed in September 2020.

The Fijian government refused to accept Ahluwalia's exoneration and on 24 September 2020 halted all funding to the university. On 4 February 2021, the Fijian government summarily deported Ahluwalia for being "a person who is or has been conducting himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands". In response to Fiji government interference in the regional university, Samoa has proposed moving USP's headquarters to Samoa. Following Ahluwalia's deportation, Masasso Pāunga was appointed acting vice-chancellor by the USP Council. The Council also established a subcommittee to investigate the deportation.

Following Ahluwalia's deportation, Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi announced that Samoa would be willing to provide a new home for the university. On 25 May, the university's council issued a new three-year contract to Ahluwalia and relocated the vice-chancellor's office to the Alafua Campus in Apia, Samoa. In August 2021, the Fijian government announced that it would not fund the university as long as Ahluwalia was vice-chancellor.

Following the 2022 Fijian general election, the new government led by Sitiveni Rabuka revoked the prohibition order on Ahluwalia and reinstated funding to USP. In March 2023, former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho were charged with abuse of office for allegedly terminating the police investigation into the 2019 claims of financial mismanagement.

Protest and Strike Action 2024

In second half of 2024, the relationship between the USP Staff Association and the Vice Chancellor got bitter after Dr Osborne-Naikatini was sacked for expressing an opinion about the lack of due processes being followed for the renewal of the contract of the Vice Chancellor. This issue led to USPSA calling for removal of Vice Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia from the university and call for strike action with 95 percent majority vote to go to strike.

Rankings

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked USP in 1001-1200th for 2024.

In 2021, the university was ranked in 1001-1200th by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The university claimed that this translated to being ranked in the top 10% of universities in the world, leading to criticism that they were exaggerating their ranking.

Campuses

Despite its multi-campus nature, the USP is not a university system. It is a single university with several branches across the Pacific Region. USP's Laucala campus, on Laucala Bay in Suva, Fiji, is the main campus of the University, also serving as its administrative centre. USP also has two satellite campuses in Fiji: Labasa and Lautoka. The Alafua campus in Samoa hosts the School of Agriculture and Food Technology. The Emalus campus in Vanuatu is the location for the School of Law. The Nuku-alofa campus in Tonga is where the Institute for Education, directed by Seu'ula Johansson-Fua is based.

USP operates 11 regional centres based in Pacific islands countries. The region served by USP covers 33 million km2 of the Pacific Ocean, an area more than three times the size of Europe. In contrast, the total land mass of territories served corresponds to the area of Denmark. Populations of member countries vary from Tokelau with 1,500 people to Fiji with more than 900,000 people. (The population of the region is about 1.3 million.)

The following are the extension campuses of the university, aside from its campuses in Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu.

Faculties and courses

After undergoing a restructuring process in early 2021, USP is organised into eight main faculties that include the following disciplines:

School of Accounting, Finance and Economics (SAFE)

Accounting & Finance

Economics

School of Business and Management (SBM)

Tourism & Hospitality Management

Management and Public Administration

Land Management & Development

Graduate School of Business

School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP)

Engineering and Physics

Computing, Information & Mathematical Science

School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS)

Agriculture & Food Technology

Biological & Chemical Sciences

Geography, Earth Science and Environment

Marine Studies

School of Law and Social Sciences (SoLaSS)

Law

Government, Development & International Affairs

Notable alumni

USP has produced a number of graduates that have played important roles in the South Pacific region. Its alumni include Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Elizabeth Iro, WHO Chief Nursing Officer, Ludwig Scotty, former President of Nauru; Bikenibeu Paeniu, former Prime Minister of Tuvalu; ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, former Prime Minister of Tonga; Joe Natuman, former Prime Minister of Vanuatu; archaeologist Tarisi Vunidilo, Solomon Islands women's activist Alice Pollard, women's rights activist Michelle Reddy, environmental activist Cynthia Houniuhi, Tongan environmental scientist Netatua Pelesikoti, Solomon Islands Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Colin Beck, and Vanuatu's first female Attorney General, Angelyne Roy.

Contemporary Pacific Art Collection

USP has a large Contemporary Pacific Art collection, including works by Rennie Peyroux, Mike Tavioni, Eruera Nia, Ian George, Kay George, Mahiriki Tangaroa, Apii Rongo, Varu Samuel, Krick Barraud, Joan Gragg, Nanette Lela’ulu, Johnny Penisula, Filipe Tohi, Sam Thomas and Dominique Crocombe.