The 2024 World University Ranking for Innovation (WURI), released last week, ranked The University of the South Pacific (USP) 133rd in the Global Top 300 Innovative Universities.
This significant achievement reaffirms USP’s position as a leading institution in the Pacific, championing innovative education, research, and societal engagement—critical factors WURI considers when measuring higher education institutions’ real contributions to industry and society.
USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, said that this ranking continues to signify the difference and impact USP is making in the countries and the lives of the people that it serves.
He added, “This is fantastic news for our university and students because it shows that they are studying at a progressive university which is making innovative strides across the region and beyond”.
“I commend the dedication of our academic and support staff who have been working tirelessly in ensuring that our university continues to achieve results comparable to those of larger, better-resourced institutions worldwide.”
Professor Ahluwalia also emphasised that this ranking indicates that the institution is on the right path, achieving significant milestones that align with the university’s strategic goals and the wider priorities of our Blue Pacific.
USP also performed exceptionally well in two of WURI’s 13 categories, resulting in the institution being ranked 16th in the Top 100 Student Mobility and Openness and 35th in the Top 100 Crisis Management.
The Student Mobility and Openness category focuses on exchange and collaboration between schools and across national borders to promote openness and the sharing of knowledge and resources.
As such, it considers the range of programmes a university offers, its partnerships and collaborations, support services for mobility programs, and cultural sensitivity and internationalisation—aspects integrated into the various programs and initiatives provided and offered across USP’s member countries and campuses.
Ranked 35th in the Top 100 Crisis Management category, USP is also commended for its drive to manage environmental and economic crises that universities face from the greater society, such as climate change, diseases like COVID-19, and other global and local crises.
WURI recognised USP’s Crisis Management approach to environmental sustainability, conservation of natural resources, renewable energy, and waste management; its ambition in climate crisis management; and the promotion of economic sustainability through responsible business practices, economic resilience, and a sustainable supply chain.
The ranking aims to spotlight higher education institutions that excel in these innovative approaches, thereby inspiring advancements across the academic and societal landscape. This is the third consecutive year USP has been ranked by WURI’s Global Innovative Universities.
