The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Henry Puna is the new Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP) and was officially installed at a graduation ceremony on 26 August in Fiji.

Hon. Puna said that he is honoured and privileged to serve in his new role at USP.

“I am conscious of the fact that a lot of important people have walked this path before me including the late Sir Geoffrey Henry from the Cook Islands so I have very big shoes to fill.

“But because it’s a family University in the sense that it belongs to all of us in the South Pacific, I am comfortable because already I feel at home,” he said.

Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council Mr Winston Thompson welcomed the new Chancellor on behalf of the University Council and assured full support from the USP community.

“We would also like to thank Prime Minister Puna for honouring the university in the lead up to the milestone of the 50th Anniversary in 2018,” he said.

The university is owned by the governments of 12 Pacific Island countries with Papua New Guinea looking to join.

As USP’s 23rd Chancellor, the Hon. Puna is the third Cook Islander to serve as the university’s Chancellor.

Hon. Puna comes from a family of politicians and is a lawyer by trade. He became Prime Minister of the Cook Islands in November 2010.

He also has extensive experience in the civil service including serving as Secretary for the Cook Islands Ministry of Tourism and Transport and the Ministry of Trade and Labour.

The outgoing Chancellor is the President of Vanuatu, HE Womtelo Reverend Baldwin Lonsdale, who served a one-year term. The appointment of a Chancellor is for one year.

The Chancellor of the University is appointed from USP’s 12 member countries in alphabetical rotation.