Centre for Sustainable Futures-USP

15/09/2026

📢 SAVE THE DATE!

1.5°C TO STAY ALIVE: ALIGNING FINANCE, JUSTICE & COMMUNITY VOICES

The COP Universities Alliance and The University of the South Pacific (USP) invite you to an important regional workshop bringing together scholars, policymakers, civil society and community voices to explore what it will take to hold 1.5°C and what the Pacific expects from COP31 and beyond.

The day will focus on the COP31 priorities agreed by the Pacific and Australia, with discussions examining the critical intersections between:
1. Keeping 1.5°C Within Reach
2. Enhancing Access to Finance
3. Elevating the Ocean-Climate Nexus
4. Amplifying Pacific Leadership and Voices

The workshop will close with a high-level Talanoa, chaired by Dr George Carter, bringing together:

🇹🇻 Dr Maina Talia, Tuvalu's Climate Minister
🇻🇺 Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's Climate Minister
🌏 Coral Pasisi, SPC
🌱 Fenton Lutunatabua, 350 Pacific
♀️ Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA for Equality / Pacific Feminists Defending the Living Planet / Pacific Island Feminist Alliance for Climate Justice (PIFA4CJ)

📅 Saturday, 3 October 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Japan ICT Lecture Theatre, University of the South Pacific,
Suva, Fiji
💻 Join onsite or online
👉 FREE REGISTRATION HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/1-5-c-to-stay-alive

Workshop bringing together insights from academics, practitioners and policymakers, convened ahead of the Fiji 2026 pre-COP by the COP Universities Alliance,

14/09/2026

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: PEUMP SCHOLARSHIP 🌱🌊

Are you involved in agriculture or fisheries and looking to strengthen your business, improve your value chain, and create greater opportunities for sustainable growth?

The University of the South Pacific (USP), through the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP II) Scholarship, is offering 20 scholarships for eligible Fiji-based applicants to undertake a Micro-Qualification to Enhance Agricultural and Fisheries Value Chains in the Pacific.

🎓 Who should apply?
This opportunity is ideal for Fiji-based nationals working in or with:
🐟 Small-scale seafood businesses
🌊 Fishers and seafood sellers
🧺 Seafood market vendors
🌱 Agricultural and fisheries enterprises
🎨 Arts, craft and ocean artisans
💼 Entrepreneurs and SMEs
🏢 Other businesses involved in agricultural and fisheries value chains

📚 What will you learn?
The micro-qualification will build your skills in:
✔️ Value chain analysis
✔️ SWOT analysis
✔️ Identifying market opportunities and weaknesses
✔️ Developing interventions to strengthen value chains
✔️ Improving sustainability and profitability
✔️ Enhancing agricultural and fisheries market systems

📅 Online Course: 12–30 October 2026
📍 Face-to-Face Session: 2–6 November 2026, Suva
🎓 20 scholarships available

💰 Covered: Pacific TAFE tuition fees and catering for the face-to-face session.

⏰ APPLICATION DEADLINE: 20 SEPTEMBER 2026

📩 Submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) to:
[email protected]

⚠️ Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your skills, grow your enterprise and contribute to more sustainable agricultural and fisheries value chains in the Pacific! 🌏💚

11/09/2026

Empowering Fiji’s Future Marine Scientists!

A fantastic hands-on learning experience for USP’s third-year Marine Science students at the Navutulevu Giant Clam Grow-out Site in Serua.

The visit provided students with a valuable opportunity to see community-led marine conservation, sustainable aquaculture and coastal resource management in action — connecting classroom learning with real-world solutions for Fiji’s blue future.

A wonderful example of education, community and conservation working together to build a more sustainable Fiji. 🌊🇫🇯

10/09/2026

Just days after laying his beloved grandmother to rest, Dr Christian-Yves Amato-Ali graduates today with a PhD from USP. For him, this deeply meaningful milestone is a tribute to the family members whose love, sacrifices and guidance helped shape his journey.

"Today, I carry with me the memory of my late mother and my beloved grandmother, whom I laid to rest only days ago. While they are no longer physically here to witness this moment, I carry them with me in my heart. This achievement is as much theirs as it is mine."

Reflecting on his journey, Dr Amato-Ali says his success is a reminder that no one achieves greatness alone.

"Behind every graduate is a village. This PhD represents not only years of study and perseverance, but also the unwavering support of family, mentors, friends, and communities who helped me along the way."

His graduation stands as a tribute to the generations who shaped him, proving that the love, wisdom and sacrifices of those we have lost continue to guide us long after they are gone.

Congratulations, Dr Christian-Yves Amato-Ali, on this outstanding achievement!



Centre for Sustainable Futures-USP

10/09/2026

🎓 Celebrating Our CSF Graduates! 🌿🌏

A very special congratulations to our graduates from the Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF)! 🎉

Today, we celebrate not only the completion of their academic journeys, but also their commitment to creating a more sustainable and resilient future for our Pacific region and beyond. 🌱

A particularly proud moment for CSF is celebrating our two PhD graduates - Dr. Lucille Apis- Overhoff all the way from the Federated States of Micronesia and Dr. Christian Amato-Ali — a remarkable achievement that reflects years of dedication, research, perseverance and passion for making a difference.

🎓 Congratulations to all our graduates!
Your knowledge, skills and experiences are now part of a growing community of sustainability professionals, researchers and changemakers.

We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to seeing the impact you will make in your communities, organisations and across the Pacific.

01/09/2026

🌏💻 Building Pacific Climate Data Capacity

The University of the South Pacific (USP) delivered a Climate Data Analysis using Python Workshop in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

The USP facilitation team comprised Centre for Sustainable Futures Associate Professor Awnesh Singh, Lecturer Dr Philip Sagero and Dr Shilpa Lal, with additional technical contributions from Earth Sciences New Zealand and SPREP.

Under the APN-funded CAPYTHON Project, the workshop equipped Pacific meteorological professionals with practical skills in Python programming, climate data analysis and visualisation.

🤝 Delivered in collaboration with the Tonga Meteorological Service, SPREP’s ClimSA Pacific programme and Earth Sciences New Zealand, the training is helping strengthen Pacific-owned expertise to improve climate services, early warning, adaptation planning and evidence-based decision-making.

🌦️ Building skills. Strengthening institutions. Supporting a more climate-resilient Pacific. Find out more on: https://www.usp.ac.fj/news/usp-strengthens-pacific-climate-services-through-python-training-in-tonga/

The University of the South Pacific (USP) delivered an intensive Climate Data Analysis using Python...

19/08/2026

🌊 Recent Highlights:

We are incredibly proud to have witnessed 12 CSF staff, students and early-career researchers share their work on the international stage. They represented Fiji 🇫🇯 and the Pacific at the 16th International 🪸Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS 2026) in Auckland, New Zealand.

For our students and early-career researchers, it was a reminder that their voices, their research and their knowledge matter — not just here in the Pacific, but on the global stage.

Their research explored everything from:
🪸 Coral reef health and resilience
🌊 Reef connectivity and fisheries
🐟 Communities, culture and conservation
🧪 Plastic pollution and water quality
🤖 AI and new approaches to reef monitoring
🌿 Indigenous and local knowledge

With more than 2,100 participants from 93 countries, it was an incredible opportunity to learn, connect and be part of a global conversation about the future of our coral reefs.

CSF also had the opportunity to partner with SPREP and AIMS for a Pacific-focused side event, creating space for conversations around collaboration, monitoring, capacity building and data sharing across our region.

A huge vinaka vakalevu to all our CSF presenters and to MFAT, AIMS, the SOCPacific2R project and the ICRS Student Travel Awards for making this opportunity possible.

19/08/2026

The Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF) was pleased to host the PhD defence of Mr. Christian-Yves Amato-Ali earlier today.

🌱 His research, titled “Food Loss and Climate Resilience: A Systems Analysis of Taro and Dairy Farming in Samoa, Tonga, Australia and Fiji,” examined the factors contributing to food loss across different agricultural systems and explored pathways to strengthen food security and climate resilience.

The research highlighted the importance of climate-smart agriculture, improved postharvest practices, stronger infrastructure, innovation and effective coordination in building more resilient food systems.

👏 Congratulations to Dr. Christian-Yves on reaching this important milestone and for his valuable contribution to research on sustainable and climate-resilient food systems in the Pacific and beyond.

We wish him every success in the next chapter of his academic and professional journey! 🌏🎓

14/08/2026

CSF Seminar Series

Join us for the next session in the CSF Seminar Series, featuring Ms. Lucinda Bryce, Research Assistant from Brown University.

🎙 Presenter:
Ms. Lucinda Bryce – Research Assistant

🌊 Seminar Topic:
Water Isotopologues and ENSO

Explore how water isotopes can help us better understand the processes driving regional hydroclimate variability associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This seminar will present findings from weekly seawater and daily precipitation isotope records collected across Fiji, Kiritimati, Palau, the Galápagos, and Hawaiʻi between 2021 and 2025.

The presentation will highlight distinct oxygen isotope signatures during El Niño and La Niña events, including the role of the “amount effect” in driving seawater isotope changes, and how these findings can support isotope-enabled climate models and improve our understanding of past and future regional hydroclimate change.

📅 Friday, 21 August 2026
🕚 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (Fiji Time)
📍 MSP Lecture Theatre, USP Marine Campus
💻 Join live via Zoom

For the Zoom link and passcode, please refer to the seminar poster or visit:
https://www.usp.ac.fj/pace-sd/seminar/

We warmly invite students, staff, researchers, and anyone interested in climate variability, hydroclimate, ENSO, water isotopes, and Pacific climate science to join us.

☕ Light refreshments will be provided.

04/08/2026

We are pleased to share highlights from our teams recent engagement with the National University of Samoa (NUS).

NUS and USP Foster Collaboration for Sustainable Futures.

🌏The Centre for Sustainable Futures-USP (CSF) visited NUS today to explore opportunities for stronger collaborations in teaching, research, and sustainable development across the Pacific.

📖The NUS Vice-Chancellor and President, together with members of the NUS Management, met with the CSF Team to discuss joint research initiatives and opportunities to promote USP CSF undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

🤝The meeting reaffirmed both institutions' shared commitment to advancing sustainable solutions that support Samoa's national priorities and the wider Pacific region.