|
 | The Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra with Professor Dr Elfriede Hermann from the Georg-August-Universitat at the signing ceremony. |
|
The University of the South Pacific (USP) and Georg-August-Universitat from Gottingen, Germany agreed to strengthen their links after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize arrangements for further academic cooperation.
The signing took place at the USP Laucala Campus in Suva on 19 July, 2012.
Under the agreement, both universities will participate in faculty and student exchange activities over the next three years.
The collaboration will benefit students through the exchange programme which will provide them with a cross-cultural learning experience. The two institutions will exchange up to two students per academic year.
Speaking at the signing, the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra said USP was pleased to partner with Georg-August-Universitat as it was a well established university that has been in existence for over 200 years.
Georg-August-Universitat or commonly known as Gottingen University was founded in 1737. It is an internationally renowned research university with a strong focus in research-led teaching.
“You bring to this partnership research excellence that should help us,” the Vice-Chancellor told Professor Dr Elfriede Hermann from the Georg-August-Universitat.
Professor Chandra said he hopes that the collaboration would be an “instrument” through which the relationship between USP and Germany can be strengthened.
In her remarks, Professor Dr Hermann said that amongst other benefits, the collaboration would provide USP students with the opportunity to come and study other subjects at the Gottingen University.
“We hope that we can also strengthen our partnership in terms of research and we are very confident that this relationship will be very productive in the future,” she added.
Professor Dr Hermann stressed that as a regional institute, USP reaches out throughout the region and Gottingen University is happy to liaise with USP to draw more attention to Pacific Island Countries.
Professor Dr Hermann has taken the documents back with her to Germany for it to be countersigned by the heads of Georg-August-Universitat.
|
