Tovosia: USP Honiara campus a pillar of transformation
The Acting Prime Minister Bradley Tovosia has described the newly opened University of South Pacific Honiara Campus as a pillar of transformation.
Tovosia made this statement at the formal opening of the USP Honiara Campus at King George this morning.
The opening of the new USP Honiara campus has attracted a lot of academics both from the USP main campus in Laucala, Fiji and the Solomon Islands National University (SINU).
Present at the opening was the Vice Chancellor of USP, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, senior lecturers of USP main campus, and Vice Chancellor of SINU Dr. Transform Aqorau to name a few.
When delivering his keynote address, the Acting Prime Minister underscored that as a country we are celebrating not only the opening of the campus but also the realization of a long-held dream for the Solomon Islands.
“This institution represents a new era in education—one that will transform the lives of our youth, uplift communities, and advance our nation’s development,” Tovosia stated.
Acting PM Bradley Tovosia all smiles in the book shop and at the background was USP VC Pal Ahluwalia and USP Campus Director Dr Billy Fito’o
Tovosia added that education is at the heart of transformation. The campus ensures that students across our islands, regardless of where they come from, have access to world-class tertiary education.
“It offers a pathway to the future, a chance to pursue their dreams while contributing to the growth and success of our nation.”
“This aligns directly with GNUT’s priority to improve access to education and SDG 4: Quality Education, which emphasizes inclusive and equitable education for all,” he said.
The USP Honiara Campus was first proposed in 2015, and the government then fully supported the idea and offered the land at King George (behind the national stadium) for the campus.
Work should have progressed well in 2019, however, the COVID 19 pandemic caused international travel to come to a halt and disrupted other important services relating to the project.
Kramer Ascenco was responsible for the consultancy and design of the campus infrastructures, the buildings were constructed under the theme of green principles underscoring efficient and cost effective operations. The project contractor was China Harbour Engineering.
The campus is powered by Solar PV installations and consist of seven buildings namely, the administration building, library, laboratory, faculty of science technology and environment, faculty of arts, law and education, a two storey classroom and a multipurpose hall.
Acknowledgements were made to former Prime Minister Dr. Derek Sikua and Permanent Secretary of Education Dr. Franco Rodie for pioneering the project and their presence added a special treat to the opening occasion.
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Prime Minister’s Press Secretariat