Thousands of graduates from across the Pacific celebrated their achievements today at The University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala graduation ceremony at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
The first of two graduation sessions featured a display of academic achievements and cultural heritage. 1259 students graduated from the School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), the School of Business and Management (SBM), Pacific Technical and Further Education (PTAFE), and the School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Oceans and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS).
The ceremony was graced by the presence of the USP Chancellor, His Majesty King Tupou VI, King of Tonga, who formally conferred the degrees, diplomas, and certificates.
In his address, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council & Interim Management Group, Right Honourable Siosiua Tuitalukua Tupou Utoikamanu commended the graduates for their resilience in an era of unprecedented global disruption.
“Around the world, institutions are being tested. Communities are grappling with conflict, climate shocks, rising costs, technological disruption, and the profound implications of artificial intelligence. Long-held certainties about careers, economies, and even truth itself are shifting. Yet here in the Pacific, we know something about navigating uncertainty,” Utoikamanu said.
“Our ancestors crossed the world’s greatest ocean not because conditions were predictable, but because they had the wisdom to read changing skies, changing currents, and changing stars. When the winds, currents and stars shifted, they did not panic. They adjusted their course.”
“That is what your education at USP has prepared you to do. This University, born of Pacific vision and shared regional purpose, has always been more than a place of learning. It is itself a living lesson in resilience, adaptability, and cooperation across borders, cultures, and oceans.”
“Your journey through USP has taught you how to thrive in complexity: to learn across disciplines, to work across cultures, to solve problems with limited resources, and to hold fast to values while adapting to change. These are not merely academic skills. They are the leadership capabilities the world now urgently needs.”
The emotional weight of the day was echoed by the graduates themselves.
Regina Pickering, a Bachelor of Science student from Lautoka specialising in Software Engineering, reflected on the sacrifices made to reach this milestone.
“Today is a culmination of all our hard work and sacrifice, all adding up to this particular moment. Right now, there are a lot of mixed feelings, both overwhelming and nervous at the same time,” she added.
“Like many of my peers, I too had my fair share of challenges, but one thing that kept me going was prayer and the support of my family, especially my parents, who sacrificed so much to get me this far.”
“Technology is the future, and I want to be part of that investment here in Fiji, which is why I chose this particular programme. I would also like to advise other students who are adamant about joining this field to prioritise their studies, dream big. Hard work always pay off.”
Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Session One graduate speaker, Gideon Leweniqila, provided a moving tribute to the bond fostered at USP.
“I came to this University with goals that seemed clear enough. But the classroom has a way of dismantling what you think you know, and rebuilding something stronger in its place,” he said.
“Strategy replaced instinct, perspective replaced assumption, and in those late-night study sessions, in the arguments over case studies and the laughter between deadlines, I found something I did not expect to find at a university: friends who felt like family.”
“The Pacific does not need us to be comfortable. It does not need more passengers. It needs navigators in critical thinking. It needs people who have been tested by the rigours of genuine scholarship, who have learnt to look at a complex problem or an antagonistic view and not flinch, but to think, to plan, and to act.”
A total 2026 graduates will receive their certificates during the two-day graduation ceremonies. Of the graduates, 1313 are females.
