Solomon Islands Governor General Sir David Okete Vuvuiri Vunagi has been installed as the 30th Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP).
The installation happened today during the Laucala Campus graduation ceremony at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
Following his installation Vunagi said it was an honour to be appointed chancellor and looks forward to visiting USP’s regional campuses.
“I pledge to continue upholding and maintaining the integrity of the role as was done by the previous 29 Chancellors before me. I pledge to give my support and do whatever I can to help with the university’s operations,” he said.
Vunagi also recalled fond memories of his time at USP as a student.
“As a proud alumni, I feel very humbled to be installed as the 30th Chancellor of this university. It is very special for me, as I remember being a student here at USP in the good old days almost 50 years ago. A lot has changed since then, but it is good to be back and part of this year’s graduation.”
Vunagi’s term as Chancellor is for a year from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024. The USP Chancellorship is rotated amongst USP’s 12-member countries’ Heads of State or Government.
The 30th USP Chancellor Vunagi also conferred certificates, diplomas and degrees to graduates.
The final graduation session will be held tomorrow at the Vodafone Arena for students from the School of Accounting, Finance and Economics (SAFE), the School of Law and Social Sciences (SoLaSS), the School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education (SPACE), and Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD).
