Pacific Island countries must have enough qualified university graduates to enjoy economic growth.
When opening the 2011 University of the South Pacific Open Day, the Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma said students must be equipped with knowledge and skills to participate effectively as members of society and contribute towards the development of shared values and common identity.
“Some of us may come from tiny atolls or very remote and rural areas, but we must realise that we all now live in a knowledge-driven globalised world,” Dr Sharma said.
“This presents great opportunities for Pacific Island countries. If we have enough qualified human resources we can participate in knowledge-based industries, resulting in an increased proportion of Gross Domestic Product.”
Fiji has a 15 per cent participation rate in higher education. The average higher education participation rate in the region is around 6 per cent.
Established in 1968, USP is one of the only two regional universities in the world which is widely recognised for being one of the first universities to effectively use distance and flexible learning to improve access to its courses and programs.
Dr Sharma said university education was extremely important for the personal and professional development of Pacific Island people.
“The Fiji Government is committed towards increasing access to tertiary and higher education and ensuring improved overall quality of teaching and learning through better-trained educators,” he said.
This commitment is further established in Pillar 9 of the Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, which is aimed at ‘Making Fiji A Knowledge Based Society’.
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