Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) Secretary, Tepaeru Herrmann, met with University of the South Pacific (USP) Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia, who is in Rarotonga for the 98th USP Council meeting.

According to a statement from MFAI, discussions focused on the significant contributions USP teaching and learning, and specifically in-country delivery through the Rarotonga campus, have made to the Cook Islands development over the five decades since its establishment.

The lessons of Covid-19 emphasised the need for further investment in extension services such as those delivered through the Rarotonga campus as well as expansion of online delivery supported by the installation of Starlink at a number of extension campuses across the Pacific, the statement added.

The need for exploration by USP of global partnerships to secure sustainable resourcing and greater institutional support was discussed.

Ensuring USP priorities and broader regional efforts in the tertiary education sector were aligned with evolving national priorities of member countries like the Cook Islands was critical to ensuring local talent and capabilities at the national level were nurtured and positioned to thrive, MFAI said.

The Cook Islands all-girls robotics team, the “Cocobots”, was celebrated as a prime example of how localised investment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiatives can lead to global recognition and accomplishments.

Made possible through the leadership and toil of management of the Centre for Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) within the University of the South Pacific Rarotonga Campus, Mii Nimerota, the Cocobots achieved a gold medal at the prestigious 2024 FIRST Global Challenge in Greece.

CEIT was launched in 2019 as a key outcome of the Cook Islands’ strengthened relationship with India, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. It focuses on expanding opportunities through advanced computing and digital literacy education, offering computer programming and robotics courses for Cook Islands youth.

Since its inception, CEIT has certified over 282 Cook Islands residents and continues to expand through the Code Avengers afterschool club each term, during school holidays, and through in-school outreach programmes. Four hundred and forty (440) children have engaged with the Code Avengers programme since 2022.

Secretary Herrmann said: “CEIT contributions have been notable thanks to the commitment and passion of Ms. Nimerota however, the Centre now requires further financial investment if it is to survive, and we will continue to work closely with Centre management, our own government, the government of India, and USP to secure necessary resourcing for its continuance—the digital world we now exist in requires such investment.”

Discussions also centered on the long-term vision of USP, exploring how it could evolve to address emerging priorities. The bilateral meeting underscored the value in strengthened partnership between the Cook Islands and USP, reinforcing a shared commitment to expanding tertiary educational opportunities relevant to the Cook Islands and Pacific context, fostering innovation, and developing future leaders in the Cook Islands.

• MFAI