Regional students among USP high achievers

Several Pacific islanders are among the 48 top achievers, who received medals and prizes at The University of the South Pacific this week.

Four students are from Samoa, two from Tonga and one from Vanuatu.

There are 27 students from Fiji.

The other awardees are from Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Guyana, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Professor Derrick Armstrong, USP’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation and International said the ceremony is a very special one because of the record number of categories (49) and high achievers this year.  

 “No doubt, this is a proud moment for all these scholarship providers to see your sponsored students excel in their chosen field of study,” Professor Armstrong said.

Professor Armstrong said this shows the passion for excellence from our regional and international students.

In congratulating the awardees he stated, “Tonight we honour a very special group of young, talented and extremely promising future leaders. These elites have excelled and proven that there are brilliant and talented students in our Pacific region, who have the ability and the drive to compete against any other student, anywhere in the world”.

USP currently has a total of eighteen (18) programmes internationally accredited and 4 recognised.  

The University, he said, continues to make progress with its plan for WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) accreditation, receiving formal communication in January 2016 indicating that USP had met all 16 Eligibility Criteria at a sufficient level to receive Eligibility status.

“This year, we are now moving towards Seeking Accreditation Visit 1 (SAV 1). These accreditations will further demonstrate that our programmes are comparable to those universities in Australia, New Zealand and beyond,” he added.

Touching on the 50th Anniversary in 2018, Professor Armstrong invited everyone to join USP in celebrating its success over the past 50 years “while looking towards the future of a sustainable University from the Pacific people, for the Pacific people”.

A total of 1,680 students will be graduating on Friday, 31 March in a two-part ceremony, the highest number of graduates in the history of USP graduations.

 

Photo By: Ruci Vakamino/ Wansolwara (USP Chancellor and Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Honourable Henry Puna with the awardees).