USP’s Institute of Applied Sciences continues to engage customers at its Open Day 2013
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 | IAS staff engage with customers at their Open Day 2013 |
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The Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS), a research and commercial arm of the University of the South Pacific’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) held another successful Open Day on the 20th September, 2013 at USP’s Lower Campus in Suva.
The Open Day, a key marketing initiative of the Institute, which was first held in 2006 and takes place every two years, continues to engage an increasing number of customers, collaborative and strategic partners for research, and showcases the Institute as a leader in scientific services.
IAS Acting Director, Mr Usaia Dolodolotawake noted that IAS amongst a range of core functions, also “works with communities to improve their livelihoods and sustainably manage their natural resources through analytical services, drug discovery (natural products/ biotechnology), its food unit, environmental services and the South Pacific Regional Herbarium”. Mr Dolodolotawake also listed amongst IAS’s key achievements, “being the first full service internationally accredited laboratory in the region, the establishment of a centre of excellence in taxonomy and ecology at its Herbarium and the establishment of a center of excellence in biodiversity development and conservation”.
Mr Dolodolotawake during his presentation at the Open Day, also touched on several future initiatives of the Institute which include “new advanced machinery obtained in association with the development of a biofuel testing laboratory, new analyses developed for testing trade products to be transported to the European Union under a proposed Pacific-EU Free Trade Agreement and associated with the Stockholm Convention (persistent organic pollutants)”. He also introduced the Institute’s strategic objectives of increasing research output in the area of drug discovery, as well as the development of a pilot process to produce freeze-dried kava for use in commercial products, and the development of a regional profile and investment strategy for biodiversity research in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
As one of only six regional UN global centers of analysis of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention, IAS appeals to a range of customers from across the region, who continue to engage the Institute and its extremely high caliber staff whose skills are not only diverse but continue to be developed in their fields.
Over 50 organisations were invited to attend the IAS Open Day, and an additional 30 NGO’s and strategic partners who constitute a majority of IAS’s external stakeholders. IAS Open Day coordinator, Ms Mereoni Gonelevu also noted that “as a research and commercial arm, with a significantly different customer base from other schools and departments across the faculty (FSTE) and the University, the Open Day for its public and private sector organizations (its customers) is held in recognition and acknowledgment of their support to IAS and also serves as a way of informing guests about current and new services and expertise available at IAS, and a platform to receive their direct feedback on the quality of services offered to them”.
This year’s Open Day also introduced a range of new displays on analytical tests conducted by the Institute, tests that have received recent international accreditation and new equipment used in its analytical laboratory.
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