AI and the Pacific
Beyond the hype Meet Joe, Vodafone Fiji's champion customer service officer. Joe is a chatbot, powered by Artificial Intelligence, a 24/7 assistant that was first launched by the company in 2019. Joe has been hard
Education
Fiji Budget Debate: TELs change ‘selling out’ students
Fiji opposition parliamentarian, Parveen Bala says the government’s new scholarship system is “selling out of the principle of equal access to higher education, just to keep a badly thought-out election
UPNG officers suspended, Interim Council probing cash for grades claims
Two officers of the University of PNG’s information and communication technology department have been suspended while investigation into cash-for-grades allegations are conducted, according to chancellor Robert Igara.
Pacific labour mobility: Weaving Fiji-Marshallese links
After six years in the Marshall Islands, Fijian Verenaisi Bavadra says, “I feel to have contributed to the development of education in the Marshall Islands in my own little field.” The Library Director at College of
Fiji Budget 2023-2024: A wrap
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, today presented a deficit budget in Fiji’s parliament. With a projected revenue of $3.7 billion, and expenditure of $4.3 billion, the
Fiji Budget: ‘It’s a tough but fair budget’ says Finance Minister
Presenting government’s Fiji Budget 2023-2024 to parliament this morning, Finance Minister Biman Prasad said the fiscal deficit of $639 million dollars was “higher than I personally wanted.” Prasad said
Fiji budget: Education, health get budget boosts
The Fiji government budget 2023-2024 presented today has prioritised spending on education and health. Education The education sector has been allocated $768.9 million with $505.4 million to the Ministry of
SINU suspends five staff members amid allegations of fraud
Vice Chancellor of the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), Professor Transform Aqorau, has taken decisive action in response to allegations of fraud activities involving printing by Wakaman Inc. He suspended
Professor Aqorau inspired by the level of support for SINU
Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor’s Professor Transform Aqorau is pleased with the level of ongoing support for the University. He made the statement when making his first speech as the new
USP graduation exemplifies excellence
Regional students share their experiences Over 1,786 tertiary students received their accreditation at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) first graduation ceremony for 2023, with 61% of those graduating being
Guam racing against time to use federal funds that will expire next year
The clock is ticking on the Guam Department of Education to expend a federal grant that will expire in September next year, but the local government has yet to begin the procurement process for the projects for which
Conference of Pacific Education Ministers aims to strengthen regionalism among PICs Education sectors
The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, is counting on Pacific Island Countries (PICs) education ministers and leaders to focus attention on providing
PILNA identifies room for improvement
Pacific Island teachers are satisfied and proud of their work, but many of them have high stress levels. This is one of the newly-released findings of the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) for
Calls for USP to return to glory days
Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy, Professor Biman Prasad, says he expects the University of the South Pacific to exercise its academic freedom and role as a regional leader now that relations have
700 apply to be PNG teachers
Job scarcity has seen over 700 degree holders from other universities applying to the University of Goroka to become Papua New Guinea teachers so that they can have a permanent job, Vice Chancellor Dr Teng Waninga said.
Helping improve the educational achievement of Pacific students in accounting
As the head of department for accounting at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Associate Professor Anil Narayan is proud of the achievements he has had in his academic career so far, including many internal and
Emerging leaders take concerns to Canberra
Ongoing issues of overpopulation, economic inequality, domestic violence, climate change, geopolitics, illiteracy, and many health challenges are worrying to many Pacific Islanders. For young emerging leaders from the
Pacific’s largest literacy and numeracy assessment identifies room for further improvement
It has been a busy cycle for those involved in the 2021 Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) administration work. In spite of the drastic impacts brought forward by the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse
Steady progress for Pacific primary education: SPC
Findings from the Pacific’s largest education assessment on literacy and numeracy (PILNA) for years 4 & 6 suggests that countries are “not yet ready to cope with remote learning.” PILNA 2021 findings released
APS Annual Convention Considers Education
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Fiji Professor Shaista Shameem said that the educational curriculum in Fiji needed serious revision so that young people could learn the values of compassion, integrity, advocacy
COVID-19 closures and Fiji schools
By Epeli Krishan Sen Vakalalabure and Lotarakuita Anand Sen Saurara Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series notes that time is a mysterious thing and, when meddled with, could have severe
Class dismissed? Keeping Pacific classrooms open in 2022
Will Pacific Island school children get an uninterrupted year of face-to-face learning in 2022? Governments and their partners are working hard to open classrooms, and keep them open, but the spread of the Omicron
The tweeting teacher
Fijian teacher and storyteller Joji Raqio has provided some powerful insights into teaching in rural Fiji during the pandemic. His Twitter feed has entertained and educated people across the nation. Here he tells his
