Pacific

Date set for Marshalls USP opening

16:21 pm on 1 May 2017

The first phase of the new University of the South Pacific Campus in the Marshall Islands has been scheduled for an official opening in three weeks.

USP's Suva campus Photo: wikicommons

The 23 May opening was expected to bring the Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna to Majuro in his capacity as Chancellor of the USP.

The Suva-based university currently uses two smaller sites on Majuro.

In addition to Mr Puna, education ministers from 12 member countries and administrators will meet in Majuro for the USP Council's 84th meeting that is being timed to coincide with the opening.

Later this year, German funding for a Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport was expected to become available that will launch the new program based in Majuro.

The Majuro campus director Irene Taafaki said the centre's initial focus would be on evaluating the Marshalls domestic shipping fleet, looking for options to reduce costs and reliance on fossil fuels.