University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) was formally established by Royal Charter in 1970 in response to the region’s need for a facility to provide higher education and training responsive to the needs and aspirations of the diverse island countries of the South Pacific. The twelve member countries of the USP are the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Samoa.
The original campus of the USP is located at Laucala Bay near Suva, Fiji. The USP has since added two more campuses, in Samoa and Vanuatu. The Alafua Campus near Apia in Samoa, houses the School of Tropical Agriculture and the Institute for Research, Extension and Training in Agriculture. The Vanuatu campus is host to the Pacific Law and the Pacific Languages Units. There is also an Atoll Research and Development Unit located in Kiribati. The USP maintains facilities, such as University Centres, classrooms and libraries, in most of the other member countries.
Member countries fund approximately 90 percent of the USP’s recurrent operational costs with donors covering the balance.
Australian contribution: Australia provided core funding of AUD1,300,000 in 2007-08.
Contact Details for Further Information
If you have any further questions about the Pacific regional organisations, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade may be able to help you. Please contact:
Director, Pacific Regional Section
Phone: (02) 6261 2224
Fax: (02) 6261 2661