A COMMEMORATIVE book in celebration of the University of the South Pacific’s 50th Anniversary was launched today.
A statement issued today by the tertiary institution said while launching the book, the Vice-Chancellor and President of USP, Professor Rajesh Chandra thanked the author of the book, Associate Professor Jacqueline Leckie of Victoria University of Wellington, who, he stated has “in a short period, and with so many sources that are not published, produced an excellent book that traces the University’s successful journey as a regional institution.”
Sharing his experiences as a student who joined the University in 1971, Professor Chandra had a lot to talk about the vast changes that took place along the years.
He recalled that back in the days, USP was very small, with none of the modern buildings that are present today.
“We had the hangar and the houses that had been occupied by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Flying Boat Base. These had been hurriedly converted into lecture and tutorial rooms as well as the housing for new staff,” Prof Chandra said.
He said with the new USP convention and Strategic Plan, the University should be confident about its future, provided that it maintains strong governance and reputation.
The book, which is entitled “A University for the Pacific, 50 Years of USP” is available for purchase from USP Bookcentre.
