Creating entrepreneurial awareness through the USP’s Entrepreneurial Fair
The University of the South Pacific (USP) launched its 2023 Entrepreneurial Fair at the Laucala Bay Campus in Suva on Tuesday, bringing together an amazing group of influencers and successful entrepreneurs to share their insights into what it takes to start and successfully run a business.
It was an opportunity for existing businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to discuss challenges facing the micro, small and medium business sectors and explore possible solutions for progress.
USP career counsellor Jessica Singh said the fair included entrepreneurial skills development sessions, motivational speeches from successful entrepreneurs, funding options and various small/medium business development topics.
USP Vice-Chancellor and president Professor Pal Ahluwalia, in his address, said this year’s fair was in line with the focus of the university by providing entrepreneurial training and encouraging students who wanted to establish their business.
“Micro-credentials address the socio-economic needs of the Pacific region and our significant priority that are captured within our strategic plan for the next tri-annum. I say this because we are very much in our strategic plan focused on the idea of innovation and creating entrepreneurs is part of our overall mandate for innovation,” Professor Ahluwalia said.
“As in previous years, we have facilitated entrepreneurial workshops for students who have a passion to start their businesses. This year we have again decided to invite the public so they too can have access to the training that’s on offer.” “Entrepreneurs by their very nature are risk-takers and innovators and one of the most significant characteristics of a successful businessperson is having the right connections to organisations that are focused on advocating for and supporting businesses in the Pacific.”
Chief guest Siu I Fanga Jione, the co-founder of her own business “Tala kei Kapa” said “USP endeavoured to disseminate as much information as possible, through its collaborative network and business development skills workshops to encourage and promote the establishment of small and medium businesses in the future.”
“This is the university’s commitment to establishing an entrepreneurial platform to address one of its key priority areas - creating entrepreneurial awareness for USP and the region in its Strategic Plan of 2022 – 2024,” Mrs Jione said.