Partnerships with Governments to Implement In-Country Science Programmes in the South Pacific Region

This paper essays the design of a new cohort-based model to deliver science programmes for high school graduates and teachers teaching science in the high schools in the South Pacific. The aim is to increase the number of skilled science teachers and ultimately the number of science graduates qualified to work in not only the public-private sectors but also find solutions to unique problems faced in the South Pacific. Sustaining such programmes depends heavily on the culminated tripartite efforts between students, respective regional countries and higher education institutes. The University of the South Pacific offers selected undergraduate degree programmes through its Science Teachers Accelerated Programme (STAP) and the In-country Science Programme (ISP) in its member countries. The government bodies decide upon the discipline combinations of programme based on their countries' priority areas. The first STAP launched in Samoa in 2014 had 60 science teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Science with 5 different combination of majors. The partnership achieved well and in turn paved the way for STAP offers in Samoa (second cohort), Tonga and Vanuatu. Ideally, science students would travel to the main USP Campus in Fiji for further studies; however, with programmes like STAP and ISP, the university is able to deliver science to its various member countries at much lower costs. This paper will highlight the design and implementation of the new cohort based science model, together with the successes and opportunities for the future.