1. USPBeatUSPBeatVOLUME 12 | ISSUE 6 | JUNE 2013 | www.usp.ac.fj/uspbeat
in this
issue
TALKS OF COOPERATION
BETWEEN USP
AND IRAN 33
USP FORMALIZES
PARTNERSHIPWITH
SKYEDU INVESTMENT
LIMITED 55 USP CELEBRATES ITS
FIRST HEALTHWEEK
7
I
n 2011, the University of the South Pacific won
the bid to host the 12th Pacific Science Inter-
Congress (PSIC), which carries the theme,
Science for Human Security and Sustainable
Development in the Pacific Islands and Rim.
The regional meet will be held from 8 to 12 July,
2013 at the University’s Laucala Campus in Suva.
At a media update organised by the Research
Office, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and
International, Professor John Bythell said with the
event being a month away, final preparations are
underway.
The Inter-Congress will serve as a platform
for academics, practitioners, researchers,
scientists, students and stakeholders of science
internationally, who will have the opportunity to
meet and discuss key issues in the region.
“We will be having close to 500 participants
coming in from around the region to be part of
this congress,” Professor Bythell said.
Professor John Bythell said the congress will be
a very big event for the Pacific, which he says
aims to also identify ways to promote sustainable
development in the region.
Participants will present and discuss research
findings on one of the following seven fields of
study:
• Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Resilient
Societies;
• Society, Culture and Gender;
• Information and Communications
Technologies (ICT) for Sustainable
Development;
• Food, Water, Energy & Health;
• Governance, Economic Development and
Public Policy;
• Climate Change and Impacts; and
• Oceans.
Professor Bythell said the role of the University
in being the local organizing committee is very
critical to achieving the goals and expectations
of this event.
The University is working together with the Pacific
Science Association (PSA), a regional, non-
governmental, scholarly organisation composed
of both national member organisations and
individual scientists from the Pacific Rim and
Pacific island countries.
More than 350 abstracts have been approved for
presentation either orally or visually. So far, more
than 360 registrations have been received for the
event.
The University and the PSA have formed strategic
partnerships with the Government of Fiji, the
European Union and United Nations Economic,
Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and
sponsors such as Fiji Airways, Tourism Fiji, the
Holiday Inn, and Coca Cola Amatil Fiji Limited.
Full coverage of the PSIC will be published in the next issue
of USP Beat
7
PREPARATIONS FOR 12TH PACIFIC
SCIENCE INTER-CONGRESS WELL
UNDERWAY
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and international, Professor John Bythell, addressing the
media at the PSIC media update.
12th
PACIFIC SCIENCE
INTER-CONGRESS
HUMAN SECURITY IS ABOUT EVERYONE
www.psi2013.usp.ac.fj
EUROPEAN UNION
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
LAUCALA CAMPUS, SUVA, FIJI, 8 - 12 JULY, 2013

2. The Director of International Development Projects
& Public Private Partnership (PPP), with the Israel's
Agency for International Development Cooperation
(MASHAV), Ambassador Effie Ben-Matityau, paid
a courtesy visit to the University of the South Pacific
Laucala Campus in Suva, on Monday 24 June,
2013.
The purpose of the courtesy visit was to exchange
views on how the University could establish links
and develop further cooperation between the
University and Israel.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly,
in welcoming the delegation, expressed her
appreciation for the visit, and thanked the delegation
for their interest in USP and their work in the region.
She said the visit has given the University a great
boost in realising that the University’s achievements
are not only recognised regionally, but at a global
level.
Professor Kelly also mentioned the Memorandum of
Understanding the University had signed with Israel
in December 2012, which was designed to assist in
development in the region and to foster a friendly
relationship through technical cooperation, training
and capacity building programmes between
MASHAV and the University.
She thanked the Ambassador for the opportunity to
foster a strong partnership with both the university
and the region. Professor Kelly said the University
welcomes future opportunities to work closely with
MASHAV and Israel on projects or programmes
that will benefit the region.
She acknowledged the large industrial and labour
base of Israel and stated that with most of USP
member countries reliant on aid from traditional
development partners, collaboration with MASHAV
will help build capacity of the region.
She mentioned that work under this collaboration
is already underway with MASHAV working with
USP’s Institute for Research, Extension and Training
in Agriculture (IRETA) based in Apia, Samoa. A
USP-Israel Poultry Production Course has been
successfully facilitated through Israel’s technical
assistance.
Discussions between the Israeli delegation and the
University were focused on Israel’s new initiative on
water security. The Ambassador mentioned Israel’s
interest in furthering the promotion of sustainable
development through ensuring water security,
through its water resources management and
disaster relief policies.
Professor Kelly noted that this was indeed an
important area of great interest to the university,
and identified that the University was looking
forward to working with the Government of Israel in
addressing this issue.
The Ambassador also acknowledged and
commended the efforts of the University through its
Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment, in
identifying and developing research in the area.
Professor Kelly also thanked the delegation
for bringing in a language specialist Dr Ghi’lad
Zuckermann,aninternationallyacclaimedacademic,
to deliver a special lecture at the University on the
revival of languages.
Professor Kelly mentioned that the University is
looking forward to working closely with MASHAV
and establishing a strong relationship in developing
capacity in the region.
2
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
ISRAEL DELEGATION VISITS USP
USP Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly with His Excellency, Ambassador,
Effie Ben-Matityau and Israel’s Regional Counsellor to the Pacific Islands, Mr
Jonathon Zadka
T
he University of the South Pacific, for the first
time, hosted a workshop for the Australian
Council on Open, Distance and Elearning
(ACODE) on Thursday, 27 June, 2013.
The two-day ACODE 62 meet was held at the
University’s Laucala Campus in Suva, through its
Centre for Flexible Learning (CFL).
At the opening of the workshop, Vice-Chancellor
and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra,
warmly welcomed the representatives of ACODE
to the University and shared with them the
emphasis USP places on incorporating OER,
Distance and eLearning methods into its curricula.
"The idea of using flipped classrooms and online
learning methods will be very helpful, especially for
our students in our regional campuses,” he said.
Flipped classrooms or flip teaching is a style of
blended learning where students can view lectures
online and work on with students in class. The flip
teaching allows lecturers to have more time to
interact with their students.
Professor Chandra said the University’s new
Strategic Plan identifies ICT and OER as the key
drivers of education in the tertiary sector, and this
is motivation for the University to strive towards its
goal to achieve excellence.
“The university is focusing on the concept of
transformative pedagogies. Learning and teaching
and transformative pedagogies are at the heart of
the Strategic Plan 2013-2018 and in the next six
years, USP intends to pedagogically be in the top
universities globally,” he said.
The workshop had a range of activities for the
participants, including a session on flipped
classrooms.
After the workshop, participants toured the
Laucala Campus, and saw a demonstration on
how the University utilizes the REACT method of
learning.
Representatives from Australian universities-
Macquarie University, University of Southern
Queensland, University of Tasmania and University
of Canberra presented on the following topics:
Alternative Pathways to Education, Flipped Classes
and OER, Open Educational Practices and Flipped
Classrooms, respectively.
The second day of the programme featured
an outing to Molituva village in Tailevu, where
participants toured the village.
ACODE holds meets in Australasia several times
a year, focusing on the significance of using
Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and
Open Educational Resources (OER).
UNIVERSITY HOSTS ITS FIRST
ACODE WORKSHOP
USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra, addressing
participants at the ACODE workshop

3. 3
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly, with Non-Resident
Ambassador-Designate of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Fiji, His Excellency,
Mr Seyed Majid Tafreshi Khameni
TALKS OF COOPERATION
BETWEEN USP AND IRAN
T
he University of the South Pacific welcomed
the first Non Resident Ambassador -
Designate of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to Fiji, His Excellency, Mr Seyed Majid Tafreshi
Khameneh, on Wednesday 26 June, 2013.
In meeting with His Excellency Mr Khameneh
at USP’s Laucala Campus in Suva, Acting Vice-
Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly noted that the
Ambassador-Designate’s visit to the University
had come at an excellent time, given that USP
has since embarked on the realization of its
new Strategic Plan 2013-2018, which places
emphasis on the University’s objective to further
development.
His Excellency, Mr Khameneh, commended the
University for taking the concerns of the Pacific
region into consideration and being a leader
in research and the cultivation of relations with
countries and institutions in the areas of resource
preservation (energy, food and water security) and
climate change.
His Excellency, Mr Khameneh, also noted that
the University has yet to develop formal relations
with institutions and agencies in Iran, and said he
would be honoured to help lay the foundations for
a sustainable collaboration between the University
and Iran. He, in agreement with the Acting
Vice-Chancellor, said that interaction between
the University and Iran would open up great
possibilities for both parties.
“Supporting a University, is supporting the future
of a country,” the Ambassador-Designate said,
adding that cooperation between USP and
agencies and tertiary institutions from Iran, would
be beneficial in securing the intellectual future of
the next generation of Pacific Islanders to become
decision makers and responsible citizens in all of
USP’s member states.
He also mentioned other possible areas of
collaboration which included student exchange
programmes and the exchange of teaching staff
in areas such as Islamic studies with a focus on
empowering women through religion. Professor
Kelly further noted that the University continues
to foster favourable relationships through
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and
other agreements in its engagement with other
academic institutions and agencies.
His Excellency, Mr Khameneh, discussed at length,
Iran’s strong emphasis on tertiary education,
mentioning that Iran has a public which is
approximately 90 percent literate and places a
great cultural emphasis on tertiary education. He
said it would be a great opportunity to collaborate
with USP on developing relationships with
Universities in Iran.
Professor Kelly noted that although literacy rates
in the Pacific have increased, with institutions
like USP at the forefront in terms of driving these
numbers, there was a lot that could be learnt from
the situation in Iran, and collaborations with Iranian
Universities could be a starting point. This would
in turn enhance the University’s educational goals
under the Strategic Plan.
Professor Kelly thanked His Excellency, Mr
Khameneh, for visiting and said the University is
looking forward to further its relationship with Iran.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency
(TIKA), a development agency from Turkey, paid a
courtesy visit to the University of the South Pacific
Laucala Campus in Suva, on Thursday 27 June,
2013.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Learning, Teaching
and Student Services, Professor Susan Kelly,
received the delegation, which was headed by
the Head of Department of TIKA, Mr Ibrahim
Barbaros. Professor Kelly gave a brief overview of
the University and its contributions to the Pacific
region and how it is looking to further development,
under its new Strategic Plan 2013-2018. The visit
saw a comprehensive discussion in the areas of
Information Communication Technology (ICT),
climate change and scholarship exchanges.
Mr Barbaros acknowledged the University’s
significant regional role in the Pacific, and said that
TIKA would appreciate engaging in a favourable
relationship with the University, noting that the
University has yet to develop formal relations
with institutions and agencies in Turkey. Professor
Kelly welcomed the indication, and said that
the University would be honoured to develop a
relationship with Turkey and that both TIKA and
the University would greatly benefit from this
collaboration.
In acknowledging the issue of climate change
and its impact on USP’s member countries, the
TIKA delegation stated that while the impact of
climate change is not as immediate in Turkey as
in Pacific island countries, it is still a significant
concern. Mr Barbaros mentioned that Turkey has
taken a legislative approach towards combatting
climate change. Professor Kelly said the University
has contributed towards addressing the issue of
climate change through small renewable energy
projects, such as using solar and biogas for
telecommunications and generating electricity in
the Pacific.
Mr Barbaros gave an example of a successful
goat-breeding project which they had initiated
at Faisalabad University in Pakistan, adding
that the project helped strengthen the position
of women in sustaining their livelihoods, and
generating income. Professor Kelly agreed that
collaboration on agricultural fields of study would
be very beneficial to its member states, which have
economies that are significantly dependent on
agriculture and long term sustainable development
in that sector. She said TIKA could cooperate with
the USP School of Agriculture based in Apia,
Samoa, where projects on poultry farming have
been successfully carried out.
The TIKA delegation also suggested student-
academic mobility programmes; such as bringing
in academics from Turkey to the University and
sending USP students for study on Turkish
scholarships and fellowship programmes. Mr
Barbaros said universities in Turkey appreciate
having students from abroad as they contribute
to a diverse, multicultural learning environment.
Professor Kelly acknowledged the importance of
takingsmallstepstowardstheoverallachievements
of objectives under any prospective collaboration.
Professor Kelly thanked Mr Barbaros and his team
of TIKA experts for visiting the University and said
the university is delighted to cultivate a relationship
with Turkey.
UNIVERSITY INITIATES
COLLABORATION WITH TURKISH
DEVELOPMENT ARM TIKA
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Student Services) Professor
Susan Kelly, with Head of Department of TIKA, Mr Ibrahim Barbaros

4. 4
The University of the South Pacific in collaboration
with the Foundation of the Peoples of South Pacific
International and with sponsorship from ROC Taiwan
has excelled once again in developing imperative
positive actions towards promoting better standards
of living across the region, by advancing import
substitution and promoting local produce, through
education, training and targeted assistance for
Pacific farmers, partnering with Suva hotels Holiday
Inn and Tanoa Plaza.
The USP School of Tourism and Hospitality
Management (STHM) and the FSPI organized a
dinner featuring local produce, to thank the ROC
Taiwan, represented by H.E. Mr. Ming Chang and
his team and acknowledge the benefits of this
collaboration, at the Holiday Inn, Suva last night,
celebrating the success of the first stage of a
Farm to Table project, which was proposed jointly
by the two organisations, in an effort to promote
more consumption of locally grown produce for the
tourism market.
The dinner was attended by the outgoing trade
representative of the ROC (Taiwan), H.E. Mr Ming
Chang, members of USP’s senior management
team, executives from Fiji’s hotel industry and
the two local farmers who have benefitted from
assistance from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to
encourage the cultivation of better local produce
and to complement the transition between the
subsistence sector and the final commodities for the
consumer, taking into account the significant role
both Education and the Tourism industry play in the
process.
The project, initiated in 2012, saw greater training
for two local Fijian farmers in utilizing technological
advancements and natural resources available to
them, in a way which could see their produce being
used more effectively in the Tourism/ Hospitality
industry (which is a significant source of revenue
across the Pacific) as quality substitutes for imported
products. The training was provided by the ROC
Taiwan Technical Mission in Sigatoka.
The project saw continuous technical assistance
and training being given to two farmers, Mr Nasim
Ali and Mr Atu Kaitabu, by the ROC Taiwan and
USP’s STHM.
Lecturers, Greg Cornwall and Dawn Gibson, from
the STHM have been coordinating the programme,
and continuously monitoring and reviewing the
performance of the farmers throughout the year.
ROC Taiwan’s trade representative, H.E. Mr Chang,
thanked the University and said the government of
Taiwan is delighted to work with the regional bodies,
adding that, “one of the most important policies we
encourage with our people is boosting agriculture
and sharing with other countries, such as the Pacific
region”.
H.E. Mr Chang also commented on the University’s
aim in moving towards excellence, and said the
Trade Mission was delighted to be part of the
University’s endeavor.
“Good professors, and good students will contribute
greatly towards communities, and this can be
seen with the University going forward with these
community-focused programmes,” he added.
H.E. Mr Chang mentioned that with Fiji being the
hub of the Pacific, the government of Taiwan can
work together with the University to promote
sustainable community projects.
Talks of having similar farm to table projects in other
Pacific Island countries are now underway.
Director FSPI, Mr Rex Horoi, said the Farm to Table
programme is based on the well-known publication
Me’a Kai written by Robert Oliver and Tracy Berno,
which was awarded the best cookbook in the world
in 2010, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Paris.
The book featured six countries, which are also
members of the University, from the South Pacific:
Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti.
“The idea is that, this farm to table approach tries
to promote the linkages between the agriculture
sector and the tourism industry in any country,
which means if you invest in agriculture, and link it
to the tourism industry, you can get local produce
being produced by the farmers and linking farmers
to the restaurants and the hotel industry so that you
can promote local food,” Mr Horoi added.
He said such a project would not only prove fruitful
for the tourism industry but will also reduce the high
amount of food that is imported by Pacific countries.
FSPI Director, Mr Rex Horoi, ROC Taiwan Representative, H. E. Mr Ming Chang, and USP
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration and Regional Campuses), Dr Esther Williams
FARM TO TABLE PROJECT SET TO
PAVE THE WAY FORWARD FOR
BETTER STANDARDS OF LIVING
ACROSS THE PACIFIC
T
he Chilean Ambassador to Fiji, His Excellency,
Mr Isauro Torres, based in New Zealand, paid
a courtesy visit to the University of the South
Pacific on Tuesday, 25 June, 2013.
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly
in welcoming the delegation, congratulated the
Ambassador on his appointment as Non-Resident
Ambassador to Fiji.
The Ambassador was delighted to visit the
University’s Laucala Campus in Suva, and expressed
his desire to foster stronger relations between the
University and the Republic of Chile, through
discussing areas of possible cooperation.
The Ambassador discussed a variety of issues
in relation to the environment, geography and
academic collaboration, the University’s role as a
regional hub for the Pacific, while touching on the
similarities between Chile and the region.
Professor Kelly highlighted the history and the
significant amount of contribution the University, as
a regional tertiary institution, has made to the Pacific
region since its establishment.
She also touched on the developments the
University is undertaking under its 2013-2018
Strategic Plan, expanding its infrastructure and
services in its regional campuses.
The Ambassador noted that the University has yet to
develop relationships with institutions and agencies
in the Republic of Chile, and said he would be
honoured to help develop and sustain collaboration
between the University and the Republic of Chile.
He suggested that they deliberate further on how
the University and the Chilean government could go
ahead with this.
Professor Kelly welcomed the idea, considering
the fact that USP does not have any collaboration
with Chilean institutions, and that the University
has collaborated greatly with other Universities in
areas of research, student exchange programmes,
community education and environmental-related
issues.
She also explained that the University has achieved
cooperation with educational and development-
based organisations and philanthropic foundations
through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)
and other agreements. The Ambassador agreed,
saying that he would take it up further with his
colleagues.
Professor Kelly thanked the Ambassador for the visit
and wished him well in future endeavours, saying the
University will look forward to further collaboration.
Ambassador Torres apart from being resident
Ambassador to New Zealand, and non-resident
Ambassador to Fiji, will also serve USP member
countries, Samoa and Tonga.
CHILEAN AMBASSADOR PAYS
COURTESY VISIT
Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Kelly with His Excellency, Ambassador, Mr
Isauro Torres (right) and Chilean USP academic, Dr Ricardo Gonzales

5. 5
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
Fredrick Faabasua giving the vote of
thanks at the RST farewell dinner for
AusAID sponsored students.
An AusAID scholarship sponsored postgraduate student at the University
of the South Pacific has scored the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) in
postgraduate studies.
Mr Fredrick Faabasua, from the Solomon Islands, who has to date, achieved
the highest GPA of 4.25 out of 4.5 in postgraduate studies at USP, has
completed his postgraduate diploma in Governance, with additional units
from Development Studies.
Although he has now returned home, Mr Faabasua said he intends to pursue
further studies in the near future.
Giving the vote of thanks at a farewell dinner organized by the USP
Regional Scholarship Team (RST) which is part of Development, Marketing
and Communications office for students under the AusAID scholarship
programme, on Friday, 21st June, 2013, he said it had been an exhilarating
experience at the University.
He thanked the RST office, which looks after the management of all students
who are sponsored under the Australian Awards Pacific Scholarships
(AAPS) and the University for supporting the AusAID sponsored students,
every step of the way, and said the University has offered everything they
had dreamt of, and more, in terms of providing quality tertiary education. Mr
Faabasuaa also acknowledged AusAID’s ongoing partnership with USP, in
support of higher education in the Pacific.
AusAID representative, Ms Olita Nagera, congratulated Mr Faabasuaa and
all the other AusAID sponsored students for their achievements.
She mentioned that AusAID was proud that they will go back to their homes
and countries equipped with skills and knowledge to help their countries
grow.
Twenty-eight AusAID sponsored students completed studies at the end
of semester one 2013. 32% of the students were from Samoa, 25% from
the Solomons and 18% from Vanuatu. The remaining 25% are made up of
students from Tuvalu, Tonga, Nauru, Marshalls, Kiribati and FSM.
Ms Kathleen Arthur, who is also an AusAID scholar from Vanuatu, is the
highest achiever at undergraduate level, with a GPA of 3.80 out of 4.5 while
pursuing a Bachelor in Education (Special and Inclusive Education).
AUSAID SCHOLARS EXCEL
T
he recently introduced 4-year professional
Bachelor of Engineering programme at USP
is aiming to get professional accreditation
under the Washington Accord in the not too
distant future.
The School of Engineering and Physics (SEP)
is working very closely with the Fiji Institute of
Engineers (FIE), the South Pacific Association of
Engineers (SPEA) and the Institute of Professional
Engineers, New Zealand (IPENZ) to develop a
roadmap for accreditation.
The Washington Accord signed in 1988 ensures
that the degrees offered by the signatory
institutions are recognised in all the member
countries.
At present, the signatories are Australia, Canada,
Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong-China, Ireland, Japan,
Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, United
Kingdom, and USA.
IPENZ is a founding signatory to this accord and
is responsible for accrediting institutions in New
Zealand.
IPENZ will work with FIE and to take SEP through
the evaluation process and eventually accreditation
by IPENZ.
On Wednesday, 22 May, 2013, the CEO of IPENZ,
Dr Andrew Cleland paid a courtesy visit to the
USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor
Rajesh Chandra. Dr Cleland was accompanied by
the SPEA President and immediate past President
of FIE, Mr Partarp Singh.
Dr Cleland and Mr Singh first met with senior
Engineering staff, the Head of School of SEP,
Dr Atul Raturi, and the Acting Dean of FSTE, Dr
Bibhya Sharma.
The Head of School on behalf of all school staff
thanked Dr Cleland and Mr Singh for their support
and stressed that the continuous consultation are
taking place with all stakeholders to make this
programme viable and sustainable.
A number of new staff have been recruited and the
infrastructure is being developed further; an IEEE
sub-section is also being established to help in the
professional development of staff and students.
The school has appointed three senior professors
from New Zealand and Japan as Adjunct
Professors who would be helping with the
accreditation process.
In the meeting, the main tasks leading to the
programme evaluation were briefly discussed. A
team of IPENZ appointed assessors will be visiting
USP in late 2014 and will make a preliminary
assessment of USP Bachelor of Engineering
programme’s readiness to go ahead with the
accreditation process.
Dr Cleland mentioned a few risk factors that should
be considered during this preparatory process:
• Recently, Washington Accord has upgraded
the duration of the BE programme from 4.0
year to 4.5 years. This would have financial
and logistical implications. He added that it is
possible to front-end the extra six months.
• The quality of school leavers who would enter
this programme is of paramount importance.
• The larger countries who are signatories to
the Washington Accord are weary of smaller
countries with limited resources trying to seek
accreditation. Dr Cleland suggested that in
case other signatories have major reservations,
IPENZ in collaboration with FIE could accredit
the programme as ‘equivalent to Washington
Accord’. This, however, would need to be
discussed further.
Dr Cleland and Mr Singh then met with the Vice-
Chancellor. During their meeting with Professor
Chandra, which was also attended by the Dr
Raturi, Dr Cleland, and Mr Singh affirmed support
from IPENZ, SPEA and FIE as USP moves towards
the BE programme accreditation.
The Vice-Chancellor assured his commitment
for the development of engineering education at
USP and reiterated that the University will provide
adequate resources.
The SPEA President, Mr Singh, while offering
the support of his organisation, suggested that
the SPEA secretariat could be housed at USP.
SPEA and USP, both regional organisations will
mutually benefit from this arrangement. The Vice-
Chancellor agreed to this request.
The Vice-Chancellor thanked Dr Cleland and Mr
Singh for their visit and said that he was looking
forward to continued cooperation.
IPENZ AND SPEA
OFFICIALS VISIT USP
USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra with SPEA
President Partarp Singh, IPENZ CEO, Dr Andrew Cleland and Head of
School of Engineering and Physics, Associate Professor Atul Raturi.

6. 6
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
Pacific Journalism Review Volume 19, Issue 1
STAFF PROFILE | IRENE TAAFAKI | FIJI | CAMPUS DIRECTOR, MARSHALL ISLANDS
What is the length of time you’ve been employed
at USP?
Since October 1998 – almost 15 years.
What is your home country?
Wales, UK originally – but I came out to the Pacific first
in 1971, lived in India for ten years, and then spent 10
years in the US. I’ve now lived in the Marshalls longer
than anywhere else.
How do you usually begin your working day?
Checking emails.
What is the best part of your current work?
Being able to innovate and the challenge to constantly
improve.
What is your best practical remedy for work and
life stress?
A walk, a good book, DVD murder mystery, or time spent
with family.
What is the most unusual/ unexpected event that
has ever happened to you?
Leaving a bookstore in Pune, India and bumping into an
elephant.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given, or
have given to students at USP?
My mother’s maxim was “start as you mean to go on”
– and I’ve tried to live to that: to see the end in the
beginning is as important for oneself as well as for
students.
Who inspires you and why?
My Faith, and other people’s enthusiasm and strength,
especially when dealing with adversity.
What have been your main career highlights?
I really don’t have any particular highlight – I have
enjoyed every job I’ve had.
What books are you reading at the moment, and
why?
Robert K. Massie’s Catherine the Great: Portrait of a
Woman.
What are some challenges you think are faced by
young people in the pacific?
IcanreallyonlyspeakfrommyexperienceintheMarshall
Islands: Realizing their potential when constrained by a
limiting primary and secondary education.
What are your hopes for the Pacific in 2013 and
beyond?
There are so many positive strengths in the Pacific – I
hope we can build upon these for the betterment of
education and society. USP has a role in this, and I’m
pleased to be part of the effort.
I
n accordance with its regional mandate and new Strategic Plan 2013-2018, the
University of the South Pacific continues to pioneer, drive and foster research in the
region, including the critical, but under-studied, news media sector.
The latest collaboration between the USP and one of its longstanding strategic
partners, the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), has resulted in a themed-
edition of the biennial production Pacific Journalism Review (PJR) on ‘Media and
Democracy in the Pacific’.
The award-winning peer-reviewed PJR is the only research journal that explores media
issues in the South Pacific, Asia-Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and has strong
links with USP.
Founded by a former head of USP Journalism, Professor David Robie, it was published
out of USP for several years before moving to AUT, where Professor Robie works as
director of the Pacific Media Centre.
The latest edition, Volume 19, Issue 1, was co-edited by Professor Robie and USP
Academic, Shailendra Singh, who is currently pursuing doctorate studies at the
University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Both Mr Singh and Professor Robie have contributed papers to the journal – Mr Singh
on the preliminary findings of his doctoral research on conflict reporting in Fiji, and
Professor Robie on his revised “four worlds” news values and journalism strategies in
the Pacific.
This is the second PJR put together by USP Journalism and the AUT School of
Communication Studies following the September 2007 edition on 'Media and Digital
Democracy'.
The PJR has maintained its ties with the USP journalism division, as well as having a
strong Pacific media research focus. It is considered the authoritative journal on Pacific
media.
The PJR won the 'Creative Stimulus Award' for academic journals in the inaugural
'Academy Awards of the Global Creative Industries', in 2011.
Some papers in this edition were presented by Pacific journalists and media analysts
at a ‘Media and Democracy in the South Pacific’ conference hosted by USP last
September.
Among the papers is one by USP’s Master of Arts in journalism graduate, Shazia
Usman, based on her study on the Fiji print media’s coverage of female candidates in
the country’s 2006 general elections.
An article in the PJR by Courtney Wilson and Heather Devere of Otago University’s
National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies examines the role of Radio New
Zealand’s Morning Report programme in relation to conflict reporting in the region.
Other contributors include Canadian communications professor
Robert Hackett and American television Professor Robert Hooper,
who has been training Pacific journalists frequently for the past
20 years.
USP AND ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERS DRIVE RESEARCH IN
REGION’S VITAL NEWS MEDIA SECTOR

7. 7
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
T
he University of the South Pacific launched its first Health Week, at
the USP Laucala Campus student car park from Monday 27 May
to Saturday, 1 June, 2013.
The event, which was themed Invest in Yourself was a joint initiative
by the University’s Campus Life, USP Occupational Health and Safety
(OHS) department and the Ministry of Health.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Learning, Teaching and Student Services
(LTSS), Professor Susan Kelly, officially opened the Health Week.
Professor Kelly said the main purpose of the week-long event was to
encourage the university community to lead a healthier lifestyle through
healthy eating, exercise, sports, and dance.
Professor Kelly said people have been dying prematurely on the job,
due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as Diabetes,
Hypertension and cancer.
She said the Health Week also aimed to bring awareness on mental
health issues.
Guest speaker, OHS Coordinator at USP Properties and Facilities, Dr
Roman Chute, said having good health is more than just a privilege; it
is a responsibility.
He said people need to change their mindsets with regards to health,
adding that “our minds are always in denial that certain diseases cannot
affect us”.
USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rajesh Chandra and
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration and Regional Campuses) Dr
Esthger Williams leading the walk
VC’S WALK ON THE
FORESHORE A SUCCESS
USP CELEBRATES ITS FIRST
HEALTH WEEK
Campus Life Director, Glenn Pope said the event had been very successful and
had drawn very positive responses from the USP community.
“Its purpose was to encourage students and staff to discover new ways of
improving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, within a budget,” he said.
Campus Life, with its partners organized competitions and activities throughout
the week including a cooking recipe competition, blood drive, Toso dance classes
as well as medical and dental clinics.
The six day event also saw demonstrations and awareness sessions by the
Ministry of Health, Youth Champs and the USP Counselling Centre on various
issues ranging from, cancer awareness, mental health, and stress management.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Student Services)
Professor Susan Kelly, speaking at the opening of the first USP Health Week
The University of the South Pacific Laucala Campus in Suva, held a morning
walk and breakfast for its staff and students on Saturday, 15 June, 2013.
The Vice-Chancellor and President of the University, Professor Rajesh
Chandra, led the walk, joined by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration
and Regional Campuses) Dr Esther Williams, and various members of USP
staff.
The walk was organised by the Campus Life team, as part of the Health
Week, which was held three weeks before, as an initiative to encourage
better standards of living amongst USP staff and students.
The route of the walk was from the Oceania Centre for Culture, Arts and
Pacific Studies (OCACPS) was from the Laucala Campus, via Muanikau road
along the foreshore to the Bowling Club and return via the same route.
Campus Life Director, Glenn Pope, has confirmed that the VC’s walk along
the foreshore will now become a regular monthly event.
He thanked everyone for participating in the walk and making it a success.
Photo: Campus Life
Photo: Campus Life

8. Managing Editor
Salome Tukuafu
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Phone: (679) 323 2018;
email: salome.tukuafu@usp.ac.fj
Reports By: Sherita Sharma
Desktop Publisher: Imraan Sheik
Circulation
3000 copies are distributed throughout the
University’s member countries and internationally.
The views expressed in USP Beat are not necessarily
the views of the University or the Managing Editor.
Next issue
July 2013
8
USPBeat|Volume12|Issue6|JUNE2013
USPBeat Magazine
USPBeat is published by the Development,
Marketing and Communications Office, The
University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
T
he Confucius Institute at the University of
the South Pacific held its third graduation
ceremony for students enrolled in the Social
and USP staff Conversational Chinese courses.
The ceremony was held at the Vineyard Palace
restaurant, in Suva on Thursday evening, 20 June,
2013. Professor Sudesh Mishra, Head of the
School of Language, Arts and Media (SLAM),
was the Chief Guest.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Law and
Education (FALE), Dr Akanisi Kedrayate, the
local director of the Confucius Institute at USP,
Ms. Joan Yee, the Chinese director, Professor
Denggui Li, Counselor Yang from the Chinese
Embassy and the Chinese teachers also attended
the ceremony and conferred the certificates.
Prizes were also presented to students who
performed excellently in their exams, as well as
students who attended all of their classes and to
the “loyal” students who have enrolled in each
semester since the courses began.
Chief Guest, Professor Mishra, in congratulating
the students for successfully completing their
courses, acknowledged the efforts of the teachers
at the Institute.
“We hope that you [students] will further your
education at the Confucius Institute,” he added.
After the ceremony, the students gave delightful
performances to their friends and families who
were in attendance. They exhibited what they
had been taught in class, from the drum dance,
Chinese fan dance, to singing by the USP staff
class for beginners, as well as a skit/ Chinese talk
show.
One of the teachers, Dan Zhang also sang a
Chinese song, based on the classical novel
“Dream of the Red Chamber”, dedicating it to
her students, while Professor Li demonstrated
his ballroom dancing skills with his colleague, Li
Haiyan.
Confucius institute director, Ms Yee, said the
graduation, which the students look forward to,
was a very successful and enjoyable event.
“The future of the Confucius Institute at USP is
very bright. From the responses we have had, the
demand for the learning and teaching of Chinese
language and culture in the Pacific region is
strong,” she said.
“We look forward to increasing the enrolments in
these courses and in the credit courses. More film
evenings, public lectures and cultural activities are
planned,” she added.
The Confucius institute is looking to develop closer
collaboration with stakeholders on fulfilling aims
such as integrating the teaching of the Chinese
language and culture into schools, training of
local workers in industries such as tourism
and infrastructure development in the Chinese
language, and the establishment of a teaching
centre in Western Viti Levu, online courses.
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE HOLDS
ITSTHIRD GRADUATION
Chief guest, Head of School of Language, Arts, and Media (SLAM), Professor
Sudesh Mishra, conferring certificates to the graduates
A
leadingOpenEducationalResources(OER)
strategist recently visited the University of
the South Pacific Laucala Campus in Suva,
at the invitation of the USP Vice-Chancellor and
President, Professor Rajesh Chandra.
Mr Neil Butcher, who works with the South African
Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), has
provided policy and technical advice and support
to clients regarding educational planning, uses of
educational technology and distance education.
Mr Butcher’s visit was co-funded by the
intergovernmental organisation of the
Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth of
Learning (COL).
The USP community had the opportunity to meet
MrButcherwhenheconductedanOERworkshop,
and presented a public lecture titled, ‘Transforming
Education using ICTs’ at the University from 3 to 6
June, 2013. The lecture was live-streamed.
He met with members of the University’s Senior
Management Team, Heads of Schools and
representatives from the three faculties, the Centre
for Foundation Studies and the Centre for Flexible
Learning, and with the Fiji Higher Education
Commission (FHEC) as well as the Ministry of
Education.
Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education,
Dr Akanisi Kedrayate, in opening the workshop
warmly welcomed Mr Butcher to the University.
More than 30 educators from USP, the Ministry
of Education and the Fiji Higher Education
Commission (FHEC) attended the workshop.
The session was launched with a presentation
followed by an interactive discussion session and
a hands-on session.
Mr Butcher emphasized the need for educational
institutions, particularly universities to adapt
to significant changes in society which are
accelerated through democratising Information
Communication Technology (ICT).
He spoke on the pitfalls of the current business
model of education and said there was an urgent
need for reinvention.
He said that systemic change with a strong
focus is critical, as it will help improve the quality
of teaching and learning using ICTs to radically
change course design and pedagogies to improve
the quality of education.
His suggestions on how to address challenges
facing the Pacific and USP’s role in paving the way
forward for the region were much appreciated
by the workshop participants who requested
additional training on the use of OERs.
Mr Butcher has worked with universities,
education policymakers, development agency
staff, teachersand governments in Africa and
other developing regions around the world, and
has developed a range of instructional materials
for various types of educators.
He is a Fellow with an international education
consultancy, Education Impact. He is also the
Director of Neil Butcher and Associates.
STRENGTHENING ICT
INTEGRATED PEDAGOGICAL
APPROACHES AT USP
OER strategist Neil Butcher Source: UNESCO