Page 12 - IB June 2020

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Students in support of the Vice Chancellor Photo: Moira Vilisoni-Raduva

public domain that seems like wishful thinking on Thompson’s five members, plus two co-opted members. One of those
part. As it is accessible to, and being read by Pacific Islanders co-opted members, Semi Tukana, resigned from the Executive
across the region, it is difficult to see how the allegations it Committee that removed the Vice Chancellor before it met,
examines can be so easily forgotten, especially when trust in over concerns that the VC was being victimised. “We are still
USP and its daily processes, let alone its ability to investigate a going concern, and the VC and his team and staff of the
or address substantive matters, has been so severely eroded. University are doing a great job in keeping the operations run-
There is also the matter of allegations against Vice Chancel- ning smoothly. If for anything, Professor Pal Ahluwalia should
lor Ahluwalia, which were controversially collated and pre- be congratulated for his prudent approach in managing the
sented to Council by a Fiji delegate to the Council and head operations of the University and in keeping it above water and
of its Audit and Risk Committee, Mahmood Khan. The June in the black even during the COVID-19 crisis,” Tukana wrote in
19 meeting of the Council also resolved: “That the process his resignation from the committee.
as prescribed in An Ordinance to Govern the Discipline of the Fiji makes much of its contribution to USP’s coffers, but
Vice-Chancellor be followed in investigating any allegations its economic benefit to Fiji, through salaries and taxes paid
against the Vice-Chancellor & President.” It means that the by locally engaged students and staff, fares on the national
allegations against Ahluwalia may still be investigated, and carrier, rents, utility payments, transport costs, and engage-
Thompson is pushing for that. Any future investigation will ment of local service providers and suppliers etc are similarly
need to follow a rigorous and independent process, which considerable.
member governments will closely scrutinise. Critics claim Fiji is trying to nationalise the 52-year-old re-
A key player in recent developments at USP is Nauru Presi- gional institution. President Aingimea said the university had
dent Lionel Aingimea, who is also Nauru’s education minister, been “hijacked’ however Fiji’s Education Minister and Council
the incoming USP Chancellor and a former USP law lecturer. member, Rosy Akbar denies this is the case, saying the accusa-
His assertive role, and that of a number of other government tion was “untrue” and “uncalled for.”
representatives, have challenged the perceived stranglehold “As the host country with the largest number of enrolled
Fiji has on the USP Council. students, and by far the largest contributor from the Pacific
USP is a complex organisation. Owned by 12 Pacific nations, member countries, Fiji would like to see the matters resolved
together they contribute just over 20% of its annual income, efficaciously through the internal mechanisms of the univer-
with Fiji contributing $26.6 million in 2019 (according to USP’s sity,” Akbar said prior to the June 19 Council meeting.
audited 2019 Financial Statement). Foreign donors almost
match the member governments’ accumulated contribution, Academic freedom and free speech
supplying $30.12 million in 2019 (down from $42m in 2018.) Of The presence of police on the Laucala campus during the
this, $14 million is contributed by Australia, with New Zealand most recent chapter of the controversy, and their instructions
also making a sizeable contribution. to students and staff supporting the Vice Chancellor to cease
USP’s governance structure is similarly complex. USP’s protests, interviewing of key supporters of Ahluwalia and sei-
Council has 35 members, drawn from 14 countries. Fiji has zure of protester photos under a search warrant from the Fiji

12 Islands Business, June 2020