USP holds high-level consultation with Australia and New Zealand
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 | The Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra gives his remarks at the HLC meeting. Beside him, is the Director of Development, Marketing, Communications and Alumni, Mr Jaindra Karan and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Campuses & Administration), Dr Esther Williams. |
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A tripartite consultation meeting between the University of the South Pacific and its development partners, Australia and New Zealand, was held at the University on 27 September, 2012.
The HLC was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra.
The objectives of the meeting were to discuss and consult with Australia and New Zealand on the following:
· Progress on the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2010 - 2012;
· Progress on the implementation of projects/programmes funded through assistance from the Government of Australia;
· Review of the Partnership Agreements (2010 - 2012) between USP and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand and discussion on way forward for future partnerships; and
· New draft Strategic Plan 2013 - 2018.
In his opening remarks, Professor Chandra welcomed the Australian and New Zealand representatives to the meeting and acknowledged the continuous support of their governments.
Both Australia and New Zealand provide support for the University’s core budget and for the Strategic Plan implementation. Australia fully funds Priority Areas 2 and 3 which are Student Support, and Research, Graduate Affairs and Innovation, while New Zealand funds the implementation of the whole Plan, with a focus on Priority Areas 1 and 6 which are Learning and Teaching, and Governance, Management and Continuous Improvement.
Australia also funds a number of projects in different thematic areas through separate project arrangements.
Professor Chandra said that USP will continue to engage closely with both the governments to continue its efforts to successfully deliver its goal of facilitating effective learning and teaching for the region.
He assured both Australia and New Zealand that the University is on track and fully committed to accomplishing all the targets under the current Strategic Plan 2010 - 2012 by the end of the year.
“I hope that the progress made under Learning and Teaching through the Strategic Total Academic Review (STAR) project and the increasing use of ICT in all programmes effectively demonstrates USP’s commitment toward innovation, forward-thinking, and student retention and success.”
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the recent work in the area of accessibility attests to the University’s commitment on increasing disability access and making learning and teaching facilities more responsive to the needs of disabled people.
“We need your confidence and support on our next Strategic Plan that clearly demonstrates our commitment to position USP as a university of excellence by its 50th anniversary in 2018,” he told representatives from both sides.
Representatives from Australia and New Zealand expressed their thanks and appreciation to the University for organising the tripartite high level consultation, which was the second one for the year.
While giving his remarks, the Acting Counsellor Regional, AusAID, Mr Simon Flores, said that, Australia values its relationship with the University.
He made reference to Australia’s Comprehensive Aid Policy Framework which is a guide to Australia’s aid distribution over the next four years. Under this policy, Asia and the Pacific will continue to be the highest priority regions for the aid program, receiving an estimated 75 percent of Australian aid.
Mr Flores mentioned that education is also a critical area with about 25 percent of aid to be spent on education assistance.
He briefly explained two of AusAID’s initiatives and their importance. The first one focuses on climate change, resilience and disaster preparation, while the other is on gender and women in the Pacific. An update on AusAID’s Tertiary Education Strategy was also presented as AusAID is revisiting its investment in tertiary education.
Similar views were shared by the First Secretary Development, NZ High Commission, Mr Richard Dirks, who said that New Zealand was pleased to provide support to USP and with the changes that have occurred over the past two years at the University.
He added that while performance has been good, significant challenges remain for the University, particularly around sustainable funding.
“New Zealand would like to congratulate USP on its success in addressing some of these challenges through the appointment of key roles and the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor and through regional engagement. We are pleased with the progress that has been made in terms of Strategic Plan implementation and governance and management,” he continued.
Mr Dirks highlighted that New Zealand’s partnership with USP is evidence of the increased confidence that New Zealand has in the University.
“We consider core support to USP as the most effective and efficient way of delivering support since it allows you to use your resources in line with priorities agreed and expressed in the Strategic Plan. This approach also aligns well with NZAID programmes as we move towards deeper and fewer engagements overtime.”
New Zealand is looking to develop a new partnership agreement based on the new Strategic Plan and the result of the joint review undertaken with AusAID.
Both sides expressed their strong confidence in working with the University in the future.
A number of presentations on the key accomplishments of Australian and New Zealand funded projects/programmes were also discussed at the consultation.
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