The University of the South Pacific (USP) launched its 2023 Entrepreneurial Fair at the Laucala Campus in Suva on Tuesday, bringing together an amazing group of influencers and successful entrepreneurs to share their insights into what it takes to start and successfully run a business.
It was also an opportunity for existing businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to discuss challenges facing the micro, small and medium business sectors and explore possible solutions for progress.
USP Career Counsellor, Jessica Singh said the Fair also includes entrepreneurial skills development sessions, motivational speeches from successful entrepreneurs, funding options and various small/medium business development topics.
USP Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia in his address said this year’s Fair was in line with the major focus of the University by providing entrepreneurial training and encouraging students who want to establish their business on pathways available to them.
“Micro-credentials address the socio-economic needs of the Pacific region and our significant priority that are captured within our strategic plan for the next tri-annum. I say this because we are very much in our strategic plan focused on the idea of innovation and creating entrepreneurs is part of our overall mandate for innovation,” Professor Ahluwalia said.
“As in previous years, we have facilitated entrepreneurial workshops for students who have a passion to start their businesses. This year we have again decided to invite the public so they too can have access to the training that’s on offer.”
“Entrepreneurs by their very nature are risk-takers and innovators and one of the most significant characteristics of a successful businessperson is having the right connections to organisations that are focused on advocating for and supporting businesses in the Pacific.”
Officiating as chief guest at the launch of the event, Mrs Siu I Fanga Jione, the Co-Founder of her own business “Tala kei Kapa” said “USP endeavours to disseminate as much information as possible, through its collaborative network and business development skills workshops to encourage and promote the establishment of small and medium businesses in the future.”
“This is the University’s commitment to establishing an entrepreneurial platform to address one of its key priority areas – creating entrepreneurial awareness for USP and the region in its Strategic Plan of 2022 – 2024,” Mrs Jione added.
USP amongst other higher learning institutions must be at the forefront of small business development because they have the potential to provide some of the best resources for small business development.
The 2023 USP Entrepreneurial Fair aims to enhance and solidify these ideas and propel USP to become an entrepreneurial university in the future; an area many individuals can benefit from.
“When you become an entrepreneur, your failures and successes are yours. You own your ideas and bring them to life and you get recognised for what you have accomplished! Today, as Chief Guest, I am being recognised as an entrepreneur and I am grateful for this moment. This is very encouraging for me and many others,” Mrs Jione further remarked.
The Fair ends today.
