2 May 2022

Fiji's refusal to pay its dues to USP does not help anybody

2:31 pm on 2 May 2022

The head of a regional university believes the Fijian government's refusal to meet its financial obligations to the institution is not helping anybody.

University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president Pal Ahluwalia.

University of the South Pacific (USP) vice-chancellor and president Pal Ahluwalia. Photo: USP

The University of South Pacific's annual budget has been reduced by $US78 million by the Fiji government's actions, Vice-Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia said.

But a lot of work was being done by the governing council to ensure the university continues to achieve results, he said.

"The question of the money Fiji owes is really a (sic) issue for our Council and how our Council and our, the leaders of the Pacific deal with that.

I know that the Council is working hard to resolve the issue. I think we are continuing our best and achieving rankings despite the challenges we face. And I think that speaks to the calibre, the resilience and character of our staff," Ahluwalia said.

Last Thursday the USP announced it had been recognised for its impact on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals after being ranked in the 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

USP had an overall score of 70/100 which puts them in the 401 to 600 bracket.