Warm Pacific greetings. I am pleased to welcome you and those with a vested interest in learning about The University of the South Pacific (USP) to our Laucala, Lautoka and Labasa campuses for the Vodafone USP Open Day 2023.

This year’s Open Day is special as it is centred around the theme “Our People, Our Story” and seeks to celebrate the diverse achievements and contributions of USP graduates and staff, showcase inspiring stories of individuals who have positively influenced their families, communities, and the global community, owing to their education and experiences at USP.

‘Our People, Our Stories’ emphasises the value placed on regional communities and the idiom, “It takes a village to raise a child,” to demonstrate how the collective support and encouragement of the community contributes to the success of individuals.

The 2023 Vodafone USP Open Day is a great platform to engage with prospective students and highlight the achievements of graduates whose stories influenced this year’s theme.

For the very first time, USP is opening an Application Hub at this year’s Vodafone USP Open Day, where students can submit their provisional applications should they wish to pursue their studies with us next year.

The Application Hub, manned by well-informed Student Administrative Staff (SAS), is the last stop of the Open Day guided tour to allow students to seek expert academic assistance from staff and submit their provisional application should they be interested after discovering the benefits of studying at USP.

Students who wish to submit an application need to have a copy of their birth certificate, annual examination (for Years 11,12,13) and/or Year 12 external examination results (either soft or hard copy), and they can be assisted in registering on our eNrol Me application.

The USP Application Hub will make it easier for prospective students to apply with us and receive a provisional offer letter; once their official examination results are released, our SAS staff will assess students’ applications and send official offer letters to those who meet the admission requirements.

As the USP Vice-Chancellor and President, I want to especially acknowledge the staff and students from secondary schools who have journeyed long distances and had to leave a day before and some as early as 3.30 this morning to be here to learn first-hand about USP’s academic programmes and take in the sights and experience of our multicultural campus life.

We are excited to welcome a total of over 117 schools from across Fiji registered for the 2023 Vodafone USP Open Day, and we are happy to see more schools join us today at our Laucala, Lautoka and in the friendly north, Labasa.

At USP, student support and experience are personalised and available in various formats to assist students with face-to-face or online learning.

The modern and connected Library in Laucala is a centre of activity. In contrast, our Student Learning Services (SLS) and health and wellness activities and facilities encourage students to learn together and provide socialising opportunities.

The range of activities delivered through the Campus Life Office provides students with a holistic meaning to university life, and you will find out more about other services the University offers as you tour our campuses today.

I wish to convey my gratitude to all those who made it to today’s Open Day, and I have no doubt that this will be the start of many students’ journey with us, and eventually, they will become ‘Our People’ whose stories will help shape the future of our region’s premier institute.

I also want to express my gratitude to all our sponsors for their incredible partnership and generosity, especially our platinum sponsors, Vodafone Fiji and Rooster Poultry, for their significant contribution to this year’s Open Day.

The Open Day is about experiencing what USP has to offer. I encourage you to maximise this opportunity and explore every aspect of university life. I hope you have a wonderful experience at the 2023 Vodafone USP Open Day, and I look forward to welcoming you next year as new students.