The University of the South Pacific (USP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance (PCRIC) on Tuesday, 5 July 2022.
The purpose of the MOU is to enable institutional cooperation to promote educational programs to build capacity and technical knowledge in the Pacific region in support of improved disaster risk finance and management with a focus on several objectives.
These objectives include introducing diplomas, undergraduate and graduate multi-disciplinary programs to facilitate understanding of international standards and practices to support disaster risk management, develop executive certificate courses for public officials and private sector organisations to facilitate a better understanding of public-private cooperation for disaster preparedness and response financing modalities, convening regional workshops, training programs, and forums to promote shared learning and exchange of best practices in disaster risk management and finance and also include promoting internship for university students interested in practical research and work in regional and global organisations focused on disaster risk management and finance programs.
While officiating at the signing, USP Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr Giulio Massaso Paunga said they hope to make sure that USP and PCRIC can continue to work together because disaster resilience is something very important that everybody already recognises from the past, especially the experienced students.
Dr Paunga added that this is a hallmark for all Pacific organisations and not only that but also the other countries of the Pacific.
PCRIC Board Chair Sarah Jane said they know that one of USP’s key missions is to train future leaders in the region, and PCRIC has been mandated by the separate Ministers of Finance to improve the disaster risk management capacity and resilience of communities.
Jane added that this MOU marks the beginning of a collaborative relationship for PCRIC to help build a lasting and deeper knowledge of students and future Pacific leaders.
