Graduate School of Business Staff
Professor Gurmeet Singh is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation, Head of the School of Business and Management and Director of MBA programme. He teaches Marketing in the MBA programme. He has over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, consultancy, and executive training for industries. Prior to his current role of HOS, he was Associate Dean of Research, Postgraduate Affairs, and Internationalisation for seven years in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Professor Singh is the recipient of 2008, “Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development.” Professor Singh has made a significant research contribution to the discipline of Marketing, Retailing, Information Management, and Consumer behaviour. Professor Singh has contributed more than 120 articles to leading international journals. His current research interests include Marketing, Information Systems, Social Entrepreneurship, Small Businesses, food consumption behaviour, Technology adoption, open innovation and service operations management. Professor Singh’s work appears in prestigious A*, A (ABDC) and Q1(SJR) ranked journals in his field such as the International Journal of Information Management, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Australasian Journal of Information Systems, Tourism Recreation Research, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Psychology and Marketing, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Public Management Review, International Journal of Project Management, Telematics and Informatics. He is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Global Marketing (ABDC ranked Routledge journal). Publications Please click here to view Prof. Singh’s publications on USP Electronic Research Repository. Scopus Profile: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57201766361 Research Gate Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gurmeet-Singh-8 Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hmYP_hoAAAAJ&hl=en Professor Gurmeet Singh ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Dr. Shavneet Sharma is a Senior Lecturer and Discipline Coordinator at the Graduate School of Business at the University of the South Pacific. He teaches Marketing in the MBA programme. Dr Sharma received the B.Com. Degree in Accounting and Management and the M.Com. Degree in 2015 and 2018, respectively, from the University of the South Pacific. He went on to obtain his PhD degree in marketing from the same university in 2021. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) from USA. Dr Sharma was awarded the Gold Medal and Vice-Chancellor and President’s Prize for being the most outstanding graduate with a Management and Public Administration Major. From January 2015 to February 2016, he was a Graduate Accountant with the Audit Division, KPMG. In 2016, he joined the University of the South Pacific as a Teaching Assistant. In 2021, he was appointed as an Assistance Lecturer at the School of Business and Administration before being appointed as a Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business in 2022. Dr Sharma has published more than 25 journals article and seven book chapters articles in leading international journals such as the International Journal of Consumer Studies, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Journal of Information Management, Psychology & Marketing, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Journal of Internet Commerce, Australasian Journal of Information Systems, The TQM Journal, British Food Journal, among others. His research interests are in digital and social media marketing, consumer behaviour, information systems, artificial intelligence, and online Gaming Behavior. RESEARCH LINKS ORCID Profile Dr Shavneet Sharma
Dr. Avanish Kumar Shukla is a lecturer at The University of the South Pacific’s Graduate School of Business, starting in June 2025. Before joining the Graduate School of Business, Dr. Shukla held prominent positions at the Fiji National University’s College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies. There, he distinguished himself through his leadership, serving as both Associate Dean – Research and Innovation and, for a period, as the Acting Dean of the college. He has more than fifteen years of professional experience. Academically, Dr. Shukla holds a PhD in Management Accounting. His professional credentials include being a certified Chartered Accountant and a Professional Member of CPA Australia. He is also an active and contributing member of the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants, consistently engaging in activities that support the professional development of its members. Dr. Shukla’s pedagogical and mentoring impact is evident in his experience supervising both PhD and master’s students. His areas of expertise encompass management accounting, strategic management, risk management, business analysis, financial reporting, taxation, business ethics, and corporate governance. Beyond traditional business disciplines, Dr. Shukla holds a particular interest in systems thinking, a holistic approach to understanding complex phenomena. Currently, he is actively engaged in research that applies resilience theory to explore effective strategies for organizations operating within Pacific Island countries. Furthermore, Dr. Shukla’s practical acumen extends to significant consultation work for highly regarded organizations in both Fiji and India. Dr. Shukla has a notable publication record, with papers appearing in prestigious Scopus Q1 and ABDC-listed journals. Additionally, he has co-edited a book published by Elsevier. E-mail: avanish.shukla@usp.ac.fj
Dr Appana completed his PhD (D-Phil) in Governance at Swinburne University (Melbourne). Prior to this, he taught at the University of Auckland (2002-4) and was Research Coordinator MBA (2009-12) at the Auckland Institute of Studies. A respected researcher and political commentator, Subhash has published and presented papers in noted journals and international conferences. Dr Appana involvement in training and development has not been confined to academia; he has conducted a wide range of training in leadership development and performance management for both the public and private sectors. Some of his clients include AusAID, Transparency International, Pacific Islands Centre for Public Administration (PICPA), Social Leadership Training Institute (SLTI), Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF), UNIFem, Fiji Public Service Commission, Telecom Fiji Limited, Yatu Lau Limited, Fiji Airways, Ministry of Health (Kiribati), etc. Publications Please click here to view Dr. Appana’s publications on USP Electronic Research Repository.
Furthermore, he possesses postgraduate qualifications in accountancy, management, and economics. Dr. Pandaram has industry experience from both Fiji and Australia. These encompass management consulting, accountancy, taxation, and information technology. In addition, he has participated in several consultation projects. These include UNDP/UNESCO projects. Publications Please click here to view Dr. Pandaram’s publications on USP Electronic Research Repository.
Publications Please click here to view Dr. Naidu’s publications on the USP Electronic Research Repository.
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Dr. Subhash Appana is a Deputy Head of School (LTQ), School of Business and Management, USP and a Senior Lecturer with the School of Business and Management. He teaches Operations, Productivity and Quality Management, Strategic Management, Public Policy Analysis, Public Sector Reforms and Governance. Subhash joined USP in 1991 after completing an MA (International Business) from Sophia University in Japan. Since then, he has held various academic and senior administrative positions within the Faculty of Business and Economics. In 1994 he returned to Japan as a Japan Foundation Fellow and worked with the Japan Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) and the Japan Management Association (JMA). He is a member of the Association of Japan Business Scholars (AJBS), Pacific Islands Political Studies Association (PIPSA), Asia-Pacific Forum for Academic Integrity (APFEI) and Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA).
Dr. Atishwar Pandaram is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Business and Management, USP. Dr. Pandaram teaches MBA438 – Operations and Quality Management course with the Graduate School of Business. He joined the School at the beginning of semester two in 2003. Earlier, he had his secondary and tertiary education in Fiji and Australia. His undergraduate specialization includes mathematics, science, accounting, financial management, and economics.
Dr. Suwastika Naidu is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Business and Management, University of the South Pacific. She is currently teaching project management in the MBA programme. She has around 12 years of experience delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of the South Pacific. Over the last 12 years, Dr. Naidu has contributed around 55 articles to leading international journals and conferences. Out of these 55 articles, around 34 articles are published in internationally ranked journals. She is currently serving as the co-editor for Island Studies Journal which is based at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Her current areas of research interest include project management, human resource management, digital currency, marketing, e-government, public sector reforms, and small business.
Dr. Maureen Fatiaki Karan is a Lecturer at the School of Business and Management, University of the South Pacific. Maureen has worked on numerous projects serving the Pacific Island Countries. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Management and Public Administration and Tourism Studies in 2004, her Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Public Administration, and Master of Commerce in Management and Public Administration (Thesis) (Graduate Assistant Scholarship (
Dr William Parairato is an Assistant Lecturer with the School of Business and Management and is based at the Solomon Islands Campus. He teaches Organisational Behaviour in the MBA Programme at the SI campus. He worked for several organisations, including the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education, now the Solomon Islands National University, the Development Bank of Solomon Islands, and the United Nations Solomon Islands office. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Management and Public Administration from USP, Master’s in Management from Massey University, and PhD from USP. Dr Parairato has undertaken many consultancy assignments for the Solomon Islands Government Ministries, Regional and International Organisations, and private companies. He holds positions as Board Directors in several state-owned enterprises, financial institutions, and private companies in the Solomon Islands. His current areas of research interest include human resources, strategic management, organisational reforms, financial institutions operations, and SMEs.