Speeches

Speech Delivered by Ambassador David Lyon During the Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding to Begin the University of Wisconsin, Platteville Study Abroad Program at the University of the South Pacific

Embassy of the United States of America
Suva, Fiji
Thursday, 3 March, 2005 at 6.30pm

Professor Rajesh Chandra Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific,
Dr. David Markee Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, Professor Bill Aalbersberg of the University of the South Pacific, Professors and Students of USP,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen

I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to join Acting Vice Chancellor Chandra and Chancellor Markee in celebrating an historic accord between two outstanding universities, located half-a-world apart but united in their desires to provide the best possible education to their students.

The Vice Chancellor and I have had an excellent relationship since my arrival in Fiji in early 2003, but each of us – particularly me, I suspect – has been frustrated by the Embassy’s inability to provide tangible support for the university.

We have, however, been able to collaborate on a number of individual events.  Last November, hundreds of people – professors, students, and interested Americans and Fijians – came to our all-day election extravaganza at the university.  I can still remember answering perceptive questions from the audience, as well as the loud cheers from the auditorium when Ohio went “red” and sealed the election for President Bush.

Totally consistent with American ideals, it is wonderful to see the private sector – first in the form of Americans like Bill Aalbersberg, and now the University of Wisconsin-Platteville – stepping in to provide an American presence at USP.

Acting Vice Chancellor, Chancellor, with your permission I would like to move away briefly from this evening’s signing ceremony to honor Bill Aalbersberg for his outstanding contributions to USP, to Fiji, to the Pacific and, above all, to the practical uses of Science in the developing world.

I have known Bill virtually since my arrival in Fiji.  From the start, I appreciated him for his public service, for his wit, and, perhaps most of all, for his being a living example of how I can mispronounce American names just as badly as I can Fijian. 

To keep me out of further trouble, let me simply refer to him using his popular nickname of Ratu Bill.

Ratu Bill’s association with Fiji goes back to the 1970s when he was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching at a secondary school in Sigatoka. After retiring from the Peace Corps, he moved into higher academia, focusing on helping Pacific Island villagers to utilize, without over-exploiting, their vital coastal resources.

Bill will be leaving Fiji shortly for the U.S. where he will receive the prestigious 2005 Walter B. Jones Memorial and NOAH Excellence Award for Promoting Diversity in Ocean or Coastal Resource Management.  NOAH, for those of you who may not know, stands for the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

As an American, I am especially proud of Bill’s accomplishments and the respect with which he is greeted wherever he travels.  Please join me in congratulating him on his award and for his outstanding service to the Pacific region over the past 30 years.

Returning to tonight’s ceremony, I can remember the first time Professor Chandra and I discussed expanding USP’s exchange programs with the U.S.  He was elaborating on how he wanted a university that complemented USP programs when I interjected by suggested that he pay particular attention to schools in the northern U.S.  My very practical suggestion was based on a personal aversion to cold, snowy weather, as I figured that students facing long, harsh winters would be particularly attracted to the warm and sunny South Pacific.

I doubt weather was a fundamental factor in Chancellor Markee’s decision to establish a relationship with USP, so I went on-line to learn more about him and his university.  After a short Google search, it was immediately obvious to me why he is here tonight.

Not only do many of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s programs complement those offered here at USP, the school is also increasingly involved in distance education, where USP is an innovative world leader for its outstanding ability to link its many campuses spread out over millions of square miles of the Pacific Ocean.

I would certainly hope that as this relationship grows, USP graduates will take advantage of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Distance Learning Center which, since 1979, has offered an increasing number of degrees to non-resident students.  I would imagine, for example, that Police Commissioner Hughes could well be interested in exploring on-line graduate studies in Criminal Justice for his officers.

The Chancellor’s home page provides further insights into why he is here, halfway around the world, establishing an exchange program with USP.  In it,
he outlines his goals in such key areas as:

• Distance Education
• Internationalizing his Student Body
• Increasing his school’s Diversity, and
• Enhancing its student life

What I didn’t find on the webpage was a possible interest in Fijian gridiron players.    According to my acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Ted Seay, a past and aspiring gridiron coach, the Wisconsin-Platteville “Pioneers” are nationally known for Coach Mike Emendorfer’s high-powered spread offense. 

Ted also tells me that the Pioneers hit a rough spot a few years ago but returned to a winning record  last year.  He added that he thinks they need only a few big, fast, tough, athletic players to return to dominance.

This tells me it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the Chancellor taking a break this weekend to scout some local rugby games.

More seriously, Dr. Markee, USP an ideal partner for your university.  It is far and away the premier institution of higher education in the Pacific region and is an international center of excellence for teaching, research and consulting on all aspects of the Pacific. 

Your students will study and live within a vibrant and culturally diverse community drawn from the university’s 12 member countries and beyond.  During their times here, they will have experiences that will shape their understanding of the world while enriching their university years.

I would like to congratulate both universities on their new partnership and to wish them all possible success in the future.  Vinaka Vakalevu, Thank you