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One hundred and fifty-five students received certificates, diplomas and degrees during The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Emalus Campus graduation ceremony in Vanuatu on 2 December.
The awards were conferred by Honourable Henry Puna, USP Chancellor and Prime Minister of Cook Islands.
Of the total number of graduates, fifty-one percent (51%) were females. The graduates were from six (6) Pacific Island countries, namely Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
In his statement during the event, Professor Armstrong warmly welcomed all dignitaries and guests present at the Vanuatu Convention Centre.
Professor Armstrong congratulated the graduates saying it is the end of a journey and the beginning of yet another.
“The knowledge and skills that you have gained at USP has prepared you well to think outside the box, solve problems, and to make outstanding contributions.
“You all have worked hard and persevered. Remember to thank those who have supported you so far, your parents & families, sponsors, lecturers and tutors without whose support, you would not have reached this far,” he urged.
Speaking on the significant achievements of the Emalus Campus, Professor Armstrong said after many months of consultations and a Cabinet decision, USP is pleased that physical connection of the fiber between Emalus Campus and Government point of presence (PoP) works were completed in August this year.
“The Campus anticipates getting even better bandwidth from STM1 sometime in the near future and moving to Government fibre before the start of Semester 1, 2017,”he added.
“USP Information Technology Services (ITS) also plans to work with the Government towards connecting the outer island centers and neighboring schools to the existing e-government network,” Professor Armstrong said.
On the research front, the School of Law recently established the Pacific Constitutions Research Network and hosted a successful international conference to launch the network.
Emalus Campus, he said is also home to the Pacific Legal Information Institute (PacLII), which publishes the laws of many Pacific countries, and is an absolutely vital resource for the promotion of justice and the rule of law throughout the region.
Professor Armstrong reaffirmed USP’s commitment to PacLII, which is now an institute of the University.
Professor Armstrong added that the value of certificates, diplomas and degrees received by USP graduates have increased steadily as the University continues its efforts to improve its quality and reputation through international accreditation of its programmes.
USP has now achieved a total number of eighteen (18) international accreditations and four (4) recognitions.
“The accreditation of the University’s programmes gives students confidence, making them internationally-recognised with the qualifications being comparable with similar programmes by other universities from around the world,” he noted.