Pal Ahluwalia Photo: USP
Pal Ahluwalia, the vice-chancellor and president of the University of the South Pacific (USP), is set to end his tenure at the at the regional institution at the start of next month.
Professor Ahluwalia's six years at the USP have been marked with controversy.
In February 2021, in a clash with the then-Bainimarama Government, he was deported from Fiji.
He had raised concerns about the actions of some leadership appointees who were closely linked to the former government at the time.
For many months, he operated from the USP's Nauru and then Samoa campuses, before returning back to Fiji in February 2023, following a change of government.
But since his return, he has been at loggerheads with the staff union.
More recently, there has been additional controversy, including the university staff protesting the suspension of a union leader, and allegations that Professor Ahluwalia was not impartial in his appointments.
The university for its part praised Professor Ahluwalia for the successful reaffirmation of accreditation by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
It said this process validated the quality of USP's academic programmes, ensuring that students continue to receive education recognised globally.
