MSG Secretariat Director General signs a MOU of Cooperation with the University of the South Pacific’s Vice Chancellor
Ambassador Amena Yauvoli, Director General, MSG and Vice Chancellor of USP, Professor Pal Ahluwalia at the signing
17 October 2019
The Director General of the MSG, Ambassador Amena Yauvoli this week paid a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, Professor Pal Ahluwalia and signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
The MOU identifies key areas of collaboration and partnership between our key regional institutions. In signing the MOU, Ambassador Yauvoli and Professor Pal both recognized that the partnership between the MSG and USP was not only a strategic one but also important given the mandates of the two institutions and our work in enhancing development aspirations of our members.
“The MSG is delighted with this partnership and acknowledges the Vice Chancellor for his able leadership and a firm recognition of the value of our partnerships. The MSG as a members’ organization has a set of aspirations recognized within the mandate given to us by our Leaders and our partnership with USP will add value to our work and mandate in this respect,” Ambassador Yauvoli said.
Ambassador Yauvoli further added, “that in this globalized world, no institution can fulfil its mandate alone, and this is where strategic partnership such as this has its value and potentials. USP has a global outreach through its academic footprint and alumni. Most of our regional leaders especially in Melanesia are alumnus of USP and this MOU is not even about forging a new relationship, it’s about coming home for us. We recognize that as our regional University, USP can continue to add value to our work through academic and technical research such as on Climate Change and in other areas. Our partnership today gives us the impetus to collaborate, to network and to advance our areas of cooperation.”
The MOU identifies areas of mutual collaboration and partnership between the MSG and USP which includes research, exchange of information on developments, academic and current activities in the areas of common interest, collaborate and support capacity building initiatives in MSG Member countries, participation in short term academic programs such as diplomacy training, legal drafting and financial management, internships and other areas of mutual interest.
Two exciting initiatives were also agreed to between the MSG and USP of which the details will be worked out later.
“We are also excited about USP’s physical presence in our MSG countries including the School of Law in Port Vila and the new campus now being built in Honiara for the Public Health program. Through our strategic location in Port Vila, we are hosting final year law students and Professional Diploma in Legal Practice (PDLP) students as interns at the Secretariat. We will now strengthen this arrangement through this MOU”, Ambassador Yauvoli added.
The signing of the MOU took place at the Vice Chancellor’s conference room at the University of the South Pacific in Suva and was witnessed by Iresh Lal, USP’s Manager Development Cooperation and Romulo Nayacalevu, MSG’s Manager Governance and Legal Affairs.
