USP

The team was led by Professor Dag Rune Olsen, Rector, University of Bergen (DRO) and comprised Professor Tore Furevik, Director of the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research; Professor Edvard Hviding, Director of the Bergen Pacific Studies Research Group; and Ms Nina B. Dahl, Studies Adviser in Anthropology

Professor Olsen stated that there are opportunities for further collaboration and expansion of the existing collaboration between the two universities.

The Pacific Regional Federation for Resilience Professionals (PRFRP) will boost the skills, education, training and employment opportunities for diverse professionals dedicated to climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and maintaining ecosystem services in a highly vulnerable region.

The launch by the European Union, Pacific Community (SPC) and The University of the South Pacific (USP) took place at the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management in Suva, Fiji, within the margins of Pacific Resilience Week 2016.

A statement says students with outstanding fees now have until Thursday, October 27 to pay in order to be allowed to sit their exams.

The deadline applies to students, both in Fiji and the region.

The regional tertiary institute came under heavy criticism last week for deregistering students and blocking their accounts because they owed tuition fees.

This week an opposition MP called for Professor Richard Coll's resignation, after he told students last Friday they'd be deregistered by Monday if debts were not paid.

RNZ reports some students said they were locked out of the university's online portal before they could pay, with exams coming up.

Professor Coll said warnings were given all semester, but the university will review this year's decision to extend the week six payment deadline.

This follows a call by a Fiji opposition MP for the Vice Chancellor Dr Rajesh Chandra and the acting Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Coll to resign.

RNZ reports Mikaele Leawere said the USP decision was cruel and badly timed.

But the USP said student debt was very high and the University sees it as a critical issue to be addressed.

Lecturers Dr F M Rabiul Islam and Dr Kabir Mamun, and student Shaneel Prakash of the School of Engineering and Physics invented the portable device, which presents the concept of a low cost wave-solar generation for Pacific Island Countries.

The ‘Portable Wave-Solar Energy Harvesting Device’ is a simple self-contained system, which can be deployed off-shore and useful in situations where there is no supply of electricity within the coastal area.

The MOU was signed between the UK Government’s Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and The University of the South Pacific (USP) at the University’s Emalus Campus in Port Vila, Vanuatu on 24 August 2016.

The agreement will explore a range of different partnership opportunities in the field of marine science.

The Robot Contest, which is known as “Game of ABU Robocon 2016” is an international showdown of ideas in order to create the awareness of efficient energy consumption and clean and renewable energy use.

Robocon team at USP comprises Senior Lecturer from the School of Engineering and Physics (SEP), Dr Utkal Mehta, Assistant Lecturer Mr Sumesh Narayan, Lab Technician Mr Sanjay Singh and five students studying in the Bachelor of Engineering programme - Ram Singh, Peni Jitoko, Sumeet Kumar, Shyamendra Prasad and Asneet Sagar.

The MOU is a fruition of the efforts made by USP’s Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) under the leadership of the Dean, Dr Akanisi Kedrayate and initiated by the School of Social Sciences under the Social Work Programme.

The impetus of the HLC last Friday was significant in light of the new USP-New Zealand Partnership Agreement which was recently launched by High Commissioner Mark Ramsden on 15 April 2016. Through this new Agreement, the Government of New Zealand provides a total of NZ$15 million for the current triennium (2016-2018).