USP ready to welcome thousands of students during Open Day this Friday

The University of the South Pacific is ready to welcome over 12,000 students across its three Fiji campuses including Lautoka, Laucala, and Labasa — for the 2024 Vodafone Fiji USP Open Day this Friday.

The University says the Open Day serves as the first step in a comprehensive process that familiarises students with the university, its wide range of programmes, and the necessary steps to successfully complete their studies and become graduates of distinction.

They say this year’s Open Day, focuses on Pacific storytelling, a crucial aspect of Pacific culture that preserves traditions, values, and heritage.

USP says they have established themselves as a leading provider of tertiary education in the region and a key driver of women's empowerment, which is evident in the consistently high number of female graduates over recent years.

They add according to an Asian Development Bank report published last month, the support of USP’s 12 member countries played a critical role in the institute’s ability to offer relevant programmes tailored to address the needs of the region.

USP says the report “Making Space: Women’s Participation in Higher Education in the Solomon Islands” revealed that in 2021, “students from across the Pacific comprised about 40 percent of all total full-time equivalent students and 49 percent of the overall student headcount for USP region-wide; and 59 percent of all USP students across the Pacific were female.

It says despite numerous challenges, including natural hazards that have affected the region in recent years, USP has continued to produce high-quality graduates while consistently recording a significant number of female graduates each year.

They say the most recent graduation ceremony, held at USP’s Laucala Campus in Suva, Fiji, earlier this month, underscores the university’s commitment as the premier institution in the region, dedicated to empowering women and producing accomplished graduates.

They also say it is important to recognise that producing quality graduates is the result of a well-planned and carefully curated process that begins with initiatives such as school visits and open day events, laying the foundation for prospective students well before they apply to the university.