Papua New Guinea has officially begun welcoming delegates for the highly anticipated Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) co-hosted by The University of the South Pacific (USP). The three-day event is scheduled for 18-20 March 2025.
As the first Pacific Island country to host the CPEM, PNG Minister for Education, Honourable Lucas Dawa Dekena, MP, said Papua New Guinea is honored to bring together ministers, senior officials, civil society, teaching and learning communities, faith-based organisations and the private sector, amongst other stakeholders, from across the world to engage in critical discussions on shaping the future of education in the Pacific.
With the theme Transforming Edukesen for a Better Pacific, this will be the second Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) and reflects the importance of Pacific nations needing to shift their focus and adopt innovative approaches, particularly in embracing global educational changes.
The inaugural CPEM in 2023 was hosted in Auckland, New Zealand. The reframing of this Ministerial forum from the Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM) to the CPEM reflects the transition of the hosting of the meeting from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) to The University of the South Pacific (USP), where the Pacific Regional Education Framework Facilitation Unit (PacREF PFU) is hosted.
This conference is pivotal for the Pacific region’s educational development as it provides a platform for collaboration, innovation and sharing of best practices from 19 Ministers of Education and Senior Officials,” stated Professor Pal Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of the South Pacific.
“USP is dedicated to driving the regional education and research agenda forward by facilitating dialogue and partnerships that address both current and future challenges in our region.”
“Through initiatives like the Pacific Regional Educational Framework (PacREF) and CPEM, we are leading transformative changes across the education sector to better equip our Blue Pacific for global integration.”
CPEM also reflects a more active and formal engagement with civil society organisations (CSOs) who are important stakeholders in education development in the Pacific. Education Ministers and senior officials from 19 Pacific Island countries and territories, as well as Australia and New Zealand, will participate in the 2025 CPEM.
To read more about the CPEM visit: https://www.usp.ac.fj/cpem
