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 | From Left: H.E Eiichi Oshima, Japanese Ambassador to Fiji; Japanese Minister for Environment,Honourable Mr. Nobuteru Ishihara; USP Vice Chancellor and President Professor Rajesh Chandra and USP Deputy Vice Chancellor-Administration and Regional Campuses, Dr Esther Williams |
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The University of the South Pacific welcomed the Japanese Minister for Environment, Honourable Nobuteru Ishihara to its Laucala Campus yesterday (16th September, 2013), for a courtesy visit to the University’s Japan-Pacific ICT Centre. The Honourable Minister was accompanied by the Japanese Ambassador to Fiji, His Excellency Mr. Eiichi Oshima, together with other delegates from the Japanese Ministry of Environment and representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The party was greeted by USP’s Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra and its Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration and Regional Campuses), Dr Esther Williams and were taken on a tour of the centre by USP Director ITS, Mr Kisione Finau.
The Honourable Minister, Mr Ishihara was introduced to several facilities within the ICT Centre (which was generously donated by the Government of Japan to the University and opened in 2010) including a visit to the Pacific ICT Regulatory Resource Centre (PIRRC) and the Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team unit (PacCert), a close collaboration between the University and the Government of Japan to protect the Pacific from cyber security crimes. USP Director ITS, Mr Finau also pointed out USP's independent satellite stationed outside the Centre, for communication with all of USP’s 12 member countries.
Mr Ishihara together with his delegation, were able to witness firsthand the physical outcomes of ongoing collaboration between his Government and the University of the South Pacific.
In welcoming the Minister and his delegation, Professor Chandra said that the Minister’s visit “is testimony to the long and very close, constructive relationship between the University and the Government of Japan”. He also elaborated on that relationship, noting that “the assistance you have given to the University is very meaningful to the people of USP’s member countries” and that “Japan has been a very generous benefactor”, attributed with the funding of several key developments at USP which include the University’s lower campus at Laucala, dedicated to Marine Studies, and a significant facility for the entire Pacific, and the USP Net (USP’s unique satellite facility) which Professor Chandra noted was a lifeline for the University, particularly in facilitating communication with its member countries, some of which are isolated in their geographical locations.
Dr Esther Williams touched on the significance of having Japan as a “benefactor and friend” during a presentation at the ICT Conference Room hosted within the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre complex. She reiterated the Vice Chancellor’s point regarding the diverse spread of USP member countries across the Pacific region and also pointed out the importance of connecting with all campuses to offer programmes by Distance and Flexible (DFL) mode of study and highlighted upcoming developments to expand on the University’s reach by potentially incorporating PNG, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Palau into the list of USP’s member countries.
Dr Williams said that “ICT has been added into the current Strategic Plan in support of DFL, driven by quality”. She also added that this is significant to the development of member countries and that the current Strategic Plan (2013-2018) looks towards allocating more academic staff across regional campuses.
Dr Williams also pointed out the fact that despite the growing competitive landscape, USP has consistently increased its student numbers, which includes greater enrolment at its regional campuses, and acknowledged three key projects which have been funded by the Government of Japan for contributing to this success. She noted the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre as being one of them, which has contributed to the increase in ICT capacity, particularly as a team of experts provided by Japan during its development also took the time to review USP’s curriculum, in light of the overarching goal “to support USP as a centre of excellence in Higher Education”. Dr Williams also touched on greater Regional Initiatives in 2011 and ICT for Human Development and Human Security (a USP-JICA initiative) that allowed broadband connections via Ku-band to be deployed to 11 sites across the region. This increased opportunities for Higher Education in rural areas and has not been limited only to Education but has been utilized for emergency and disaster relief announcements.
Two recent projects of significance both to USP and the Government of Japan are the Kizuna project which concluded in 2012, which saw 315 high school and University students from various Pacific Island countries take part in a cultural exchange to Japan, and the Jenesys 2.0 Project currently in place. Both projects have been managed by the University on behalf of the Government of Japan, and have assisted in the development of relationships between Pacific Youth and their Japanese counterparts.
Both Mr Ishihara and Professor Chandra agreed that such projects have broken boarders between Japan and USP’s member countries, and fostered greater regional cooperation. Mr Ishihara noted his Ministry’s involvement in the annual International Conference on various issues relating to the Environment (this year the theme was “Climate Change and Coral Reef Conservation”), hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Environment, Okinawa Prefectural Government and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the University of the Ryukyus. Professor Chandra agreed that such themes relate to the situation in the Pacific with the current issue of Climate Change, particularly in its smaller member states, and noted that the University is quite active in this area via its Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD). Mr Ishihara suggested that there is opportunity for USP, potentially through its postgraduate students, to collaborate with OIST particularly given the significance of these issues to USP’s member countries. Dr Williams added that Environment was another key initiative in USP’s current Strategic Plan.
In relation to the significance of such collaboration for USP’s students, and further exposure to ways of learning and cultural responses to these issues in Japan, Mr Ishihara noted that “Environment is very important because these people are going to be leaders in the future”. Professor Chandra agreed, qualifying the statement by saying that it is not easy to persuade societies to adopt all these conservation measures, but the Pacific is definitely moving towards this.
Japanese Minister for Environment visits USP Picture Gallery
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