ADB VISITS NEW USP CAMPUS IN SOLOMON ISLANDS

THE ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) recently led a media tour of the expanded campus of the University of the South Pacific in Honiara on March 16th. The project, funded by a $15.4 million concessional loan and a grant of $1.5 million from the ADB-administered Clean Energy Fund, is part of the Higher Education in the Pacific Investment Program. This new campus, located next to the King George VI School, will provide students with better access to higher education, training, and vocational opportunities.

ADB’s Solomon Islands Pacific Country Office’s Unit Head, Elmar Elbling, stated that “this site visit is the opportunity to witness first-hand the great progress of this important project that will provide Solomon Islands’ growing youth population with access to quality education and training. We are delighted to partner with USP and the Government of Solomon Islands on this initiative.”

The expanded campus features additional teaching and education spaces and faculty and administrative facilities. It also provides full disability access to campus facilities and a 600kW roof-top solar-powered system that will contribute to the campus’ energy needs. The campus was designed with gender-friendly designs, such as the creation of safe and secure ICT learning hubs with sanitation facilities for both women and men. USP Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education, Jito Vanualailai, said that “this is yet another milestone of USP and ADB’s long-term partnership in the Pacific. The upgraded campus, with its state-of-the-art facilities, will provide students with better access to academic, training, and vocational opportunities.”

The project will support an anchor student program in public health, as well as a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It will enhance ICT-based education, improve student support services, and help strengthen the university’s governance and management. Around 100 local workers are working on the project, and the construction of the campus is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members, with 49 from the region. The investment in the new campus is an essential step towards achieving this goal by providing better access to higher education and training for students in the Pacific.