USP Graduate Attributes

For over fifty years, The University of the South Pacific (USP) has been leading the Pacific by making distinctive contributions in research, innovation, learning, teaching and community engagement. USP plays a dynamic role in the Pacific region and is underpinned by its unique cultural identities which are deeply rooted in our virtues: integrity, honesty, respect and accountability. Preservation of these cultures is at the heart of USP in what we do and how we do it. USP is student centered because the University believes that when the students graduate they must become agents of development. It is the University’s responsibility to enrich the lives of students by providing opportunities and to ensure that they are able to make an impact on their communities. The University’s greatest strength is its people, who are dedicated, well qualified and are world class researchers devoted to providing the best education possible. USP’s academic programmes foster five attributes in all its graduates. These five attributes are: Academic Excellence; Intellectual Curiosity and Integrity; Capacity for leadership and working with others; Appreciation of the cultures of the Pacific Islands; and CrossCultural Competencies. Graduates from USP are able to gain extensive knowledge and relevant skills in a particular discipline or professional area; have capacity for critical thinking and independent self-directed, life-long learning; gain advanced information and communication technology knowledge and skills; and develop research skills. The graduates develop deep respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship. They tend to have intellectual curiosity and creativity, openness to new ideas; commitment to inter-disciplinary understanding and skills; and respect for the principles, values and ethics of a chosen profession. They build effective interpersonal communications skills; leadership, organisational, teamwork and time management abilities; and personal maturity and self-confidence. To add, the graduates are able to gain knowledge and appreciation of the unity and diversity of Pacific island cultures; understanding of the diverse economies and environments of the Pacific Islands; and commitment to the maintenance and strengthening of the societies of the Pacific. These graduates are able to understand and appreciate social, cultural, and linguistic diversity; respect for human rights and dignity in a global context; commitment to accountability, ethical practice and social responsibility; and demonstrated oral and written proficiency in the English language.

Graduates build effective interpersonal communications skills; leadership, organisational, teamwork and time management abilities; and personal maturity and self-confidence.