The State of Our University

As the year draws to a close, I wish to share with all Solomon Islanders an overview of the state of our National University.

I am proud to report that the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) is stronger than ever – and this success is not due to me alone, but to the collective dedication of many.

Our staff and students have worked tirelessly; the Solomon Islands Government, especially the Ministry of Education, has been steadfast in its support; our University Council and its committees have provided enthusiastic guidance; and our donors and international partners – from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to the Chinese Embassy and our sister universities abroad – have generously lent their support. Each of these stakeholders has contributed to the enormous gains we have achieved over the past three years, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all.

For me personally, this journey has been both unexpected and deeply rewarding. I came into the Vice-Chancellor’s role as someone new to academia – a role I never imagined I would undertake – yet I have been continually inspired by the energy and passion that abound in our University community. I have watched our staff grow in confidence and expertise through the new connections and collaborations we are forging.

I have seen our students begin to spread their wings beyond our shores; for example, seven of our students are scheduled to visit the University of Melbourne in June 2026 – a testament to the growing impact and reach of SINU.

These experiences make me more confident than ever about the future of our University. Indeed, the state of our University could not be better, and it sets a solid foundation for the transformative journey ahead. Let me now highlight some of the key strides we have made and the vision we are pursuing for a different, uniquely Solomon Islands National University.

When I assumed office in late 2022 (that is when I signed my Contract), one of my top priorities was to strengthen the governance of SINU. I recall a conversation at a ceremony in November 2022, shortly after I signed my contract. Mrs. Sally-Anne Baxter, then First Secretary at the Australian High Commission, said to me: “Transform, we have stayed away from SINU because of its well-known problems, but if you address the governance, we will support you.” That frank challenge underscored a truth we could not ignore. Over the past three years, we have taken that message to heart and worked hard to make SINU an “oasis of good governance” – a model of integrity, accountability, and inclusiveness in the Pacific.

Strengthening Council and Committees: Our first step was to revitalize the University Council and fully activate all Council committees. We ensured every Council position was filled and that each committee became fully operational. Importantly, these committees are chaired by respected professionals from outside the University, bringing independent perspectives from both the public and private sectors. SINU, as a public institution, belongs to the people; it was crucial to give the public a greater stake in our affairs. By empowering the Council and its committees, we dramatically increased oversight and transparency in decision-making. Key committees – Human Resources, Finance and Investment, Physical Resources, Risk and Audit, and the Executive Governance Committee – now meet regularly and hold the University’s leadership (including myself) to the highest standards of accountability. This robust committee system has tightened our compliance with policies and improved how we manage everything from staff welfare and recruitment, to budget approval and tender processes, to campus development and risk management. The results have been transformative: governance issues that once hampered us are being addressed systematically, and confidence in SINU’s management is being restored.

Broadening Participation in Governance: In strengthening governance, we have also sought to make it more inclusive and forward-looking. The University Council, for instance, is on the cusp of important reforms. There are proposals now before the Minister of Education to amend the SINU Act and broaden Council membership to include representatives from overseas universities. Introducing international expertise at the Council level will bring a valuable global perspective to our strategies and accountability – a change that can only benefit both the University and the country. We are likewise opening up other decision-making bodies to those we serve: we have added student representatives to all Faculty boards, and an amendment is underway to include student representation in the University Senate (our highest academic decision-making body). By giving students a voice in shaping academic programs and policies, we affirm that SINU is their University as much as anyone else’s. This inclusive approach to governance is helping SINU become a truly people-centered institution, responsive to the needs and insights of its community.

Financial Oversight and Transparency: Strengthening governance has yielded concrete improvements in our financial stewardship. As of this writing, our financial accounts are up to date through the end of 2024 and ready for independent audit – a major achievement considering the backlog we faced a few years ago. Here, I must acknowledge the support of the Australian Government, which, through DFAT, provided a financial advisor who has been instrumental in helping us modernize our financial systems. With sound financial controls now in place, SINU is rebuilding trust and unlocking opportunities. Our University sits on substantial real estate assets across Honiara and the provinces, yet in the past we could not fully leverage these assets due to governance and financial weaknesses. That was an enormous opportunity cost. Today, thanks to better governance, we are in a much stronger position than we were three years ago to pursue investments and partnerships that benefit the University.

Policies, Accountability, and Strategic Planning: Our Council has approved numerous new policies to strengthen institutional systems and processes – one notable example is a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) policy that sets the stage for collaboration with industry and investors. We have also caught up with our reporting obligations: the Annual Reports for 2023 and 2024 have been completed and will be submitted to the Minister of Education for presentation to Parliament, and we are committed to finalizing the 2025 Annual Report by March 2026. These may sound like routine administrative tasks, but bringing our reports and audits up to date required considerable effort and signifies a new culture of responsibility. It was a collective effort – and I am deeply appreciative of the council members, management team, and staff who worked hard to achieve it.

Looking ahead, our governance improvements are being codified in a roadmap for the future. In early 2026, the Council will consider and adopt a new Five-Year Strategic Plan for SINU. This Strategic Plan, developed by our own staff with advisory support (including a monitoring and evaluation specialist funded by DFAT), will chart the University’s growth over the next 5 to 10 years. It will solidify our governance gains and guide us in aligning resources to our highest priorities. Good governance, after all, was the first of the three pillars I set out when I became Vice-Chancellor. Looking back now, I am pleased to see how far we have come. A university governed with integrity and vision is better placed to attract donor funding, forge public-private partnerships with banks and businesses, and ultimately diversify its revenue to reduce reliance on government funding. We are well on our way to realizing that goal, and governance will remain the bedrock on which our other successes are built.

The second pillar of my vision for SINU was academic excellence and accreditation. We must produce the next generation of thought leaders equipped with globally relevant skills – and to do that, our programs and qualifications themselves must meet the highest standards at home and abroad. Over the past three years, we have pursued comprehensive academic reforms to raise the quality of teaching, learning, and research at SINU. These reforms are foundational to our future, creating an environment where innovation can thrive and where a Solomon Islands education carries respect on the world stage.

Accreditation and Quality Standards: A milestone achievement has been our progress toward full accreditation of the University and its programs. We recognized early on that SINU needed to be accredited both by our national regulator – the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA) – and against international benchmarks such as Australian and New Zealand standards. With support from the Australian Academic Volunteers program, we were fortunate to engage Professor Angela Hill, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Edith Cowan University, to help review and update all our academic policies. Thanks to these efforts, every academic policy at SINU has now been modernized and aligned with best practices. In parallel, our team worked rigorously to prepare SINU’s application to SITESA. We started by successfully accrediting our Bachelor of Business Administration program with SITESA, which formed the basis of SINU’s institutional accreditation submission. I am proud to announce that SINU is now on the verge of becoming a SITESA-certified “regulated education provider.” This status will be a landmark in our history – it signifies that SINU meets national quality standards across the board. But we will not stop there. Our ultimate aim is for SINU to become a self-accrediting university, empowered to accredit its own programs and courses. To reach that level, we have embarked on a comprehensive review of all our programs, which will involve both internal assessments and external reviews to ensure every course meets SITESA’s stringent criteria. In practical terms, this means re-examining what we teach, how we teach, and how we assess learning outcomes, to ensure that a SINU qualification truly prepares students for success in the workplace and further studies.

Expanding Academic Offerings and Modernizing Curriculum: Accreditation is not just about compliance – it is about transforming the learning experience. In the spirit of that transformation, we have begun diversifying and updating our academic offerings. The Solomon Islands has a young and growing population, and the demand for skilled graduates in all fields – from trades to technology, from education to entrepreneurship – is rising. SINU is responding by developing new programs and courses to meet these needs. For example, we are in the process of strengthening our technical and vocational training through the development of a dedicated SINU Technical and Further Education (TAFE) division. This TAFE arm will serve as an incubator for practical, life-skill programs to empower our youth who seek skills for direct employment or entrepreneurship. At the same time, we are building an Innovation Hub on campus (with support from the United Nations Development Programme) to nurture creativity, digital skills, and entrepreneurial ideas among students and faculty. These initiatives, alongside our academic policy reforms, will ensure that SINU’s curriculum remains relevant to national development priorities and global trends. Our graduates should not only find jobs – they should be capable of creating jobs, leading enterprises, and driving solutions for our communities.

Enhancing Research and Postgraduate Education: A truly great university is not only a teaching institution but also a generator of new knowledge. Recognizing this, we have made significant changes to elevate research and postgraduate studies at SINU. With assistance from an adjunct fellow (again through the Australian Volunteers program), we appointed an Adjunct Professor of Research who worked with our team to overhaul SINU’s research policies, systems, and processes. The result is that our research governance is now modernized and geared for growth. Each Faculty at SINU has established an Associate Dean of Research position to lead and mentor research activities. We have introduced new postgraduate programs – including the capacity to offer Master’s and PhD degrees for the first time in our University’s history. In practical terms, these advancements put SINU in a much stronger position to apply for research grants and to collaborate on joint projects with universities and research institutes around the world. When our staff and students engage in research that tackles local and global challenges, the benefits multiply: we inform evidence-based policy and innovation in Solomon Islands, and we also establish SINU’s reputation in the international academic community. Ultimately, my dream is for SINU to become an accredited institution that can directly manage and execute global research and development funds – it is an ambitious vision, but not an impossible one if we continue on this trajectory.

Our academic reforms – from accreditation to curriculum development to research capacity – are laying the groundwork for excellence. They are enablers that allow the University to be creative and forward-thinking. A stronger academic foundation means our students will graduate with confidence in the quality of their education, and the world can have confidence in the quality of our graduates. This pillar of academic quality will ensure that SINU truly becomes a “centre of excellence” in the Pacific, raising the standards of education and applied research for the nation and the region.

The third pillar of our journey has been a series of corporate and operational reforms aimed at making SINU financially sustainable and innovative in how we use our assets. Simply put, we want to transform SINU into a “bankable” institution – one that is well-managed and creditworthy, able to attract investment and generate its own income to supplement government funding. Financial strength is not an end in itself, but a means to better support our core mission of educating Solomon Islanders. By modernizing our corporate practices, securing our physical assets, and forging strategic partnerships, we are creating new opportunities to invest in our students and staff.

Optimizing Our Assets – Land and Infrastructure: One of SINU’s greatest advantages is that it holds significant land and infrastructure assets across the country. For too long, however, these assets were underutilized. Over the past three years, we have made it a priority to secure and plan the development of all SINU lands. Here in Honiara and Guadalcanal, as well as in the Western Province, Malaita, and other regions, we have been working closely with provincial authorities to formalize SINU’s land holdings and plan new campuses. In Malaita, we anticipate the transfer of a portion of the government’s land at Aligegeo to establish SINU’s fourth campus. We have also initiated discussions with Isabel Province and Makira Province about expanding SINU’s presence there in the future. By expanding beyond Honiara, SINU will eventually offer more Solomon Islanders the chance to access higher education in their own communities, and we will embed the University more deeply in the national development fabric. Securing our property rights and having a clear infrastructure plan also mean we can confidently pursue capital projects and invite investment. The Council’s approval of the new Private-Public Partnership policy is a game-changer in this respect: it paves the way for SINU to enter into joint ventures and innovative business arrangements to develop our campuses. Our land – particularly in prime locations – is an asset that can be leveraged to create revenue-generating facilities such as student accommodations, a university-owned housing estate, perhaps a shopping complex, and other enterprises that serve both the University and the public. In the past, weak governance and financial systems made such investments difficult, and opportunities were lost. Now, with the groundwork laid in terms of clear policies and improved governance, we can be creative and bold in optimizing these assets for the University’s benefit.

Diversifying Revenue and Building Partnerships: A financially resilient university draws support from multiple sources. Aside from government subvention and student fees, SINU must tap into partnerships with the private sector and development partners. I am pleased to report that our administration has been proactively engaging with entities like the National Provident Fund (NPF), BRED Bank, and other businesses to explore co-funding and investment opportunities on projects such as the proposed SINU housing estate and commercial facilities. These discussions have been promising. The interest from such partners reflects growing confidence that SINU is, indeed, becoming a reliable and forward-thinking institution. Diversifying our revenue streams through these partnerships will ultimately allow us to reinvest earnings into improving academic programs, upgrading facilities, and expanding student services. In addition, we continue to work closely with our major donors and international friends. The financial and technical support from Australia, China, New Zealand, Japan, and other partners remains vital – and as our governance and accountability strengthen, we anticipate even greater willingness from donors to fund scholarships, research, infrastructure, and capacity-building initiatives at SINU. A concrete example of this trust is the DFAT-funded advisors who have been embedded at SINU to assist in finance, monitoring & evaluation, and professional development – a partnership we value highly and intend to build on.

Investing in People and Culture: An institution is only as effective as its people. Realizing this, part of our corporate reform agenda has focused on human resource development and policies. We made an important change by extending all staff employment contracts from the old 3-year term to a more secure 5-year term. This change provides greater job stability, which helps us retain talented faculty and staff and gives them a longer horizon to plan and execute initiatives. Alongside this, we have encouraged a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth. Many of our staff (both academic and non-academic) have undergone training and capacity-building programs, often with the support of partners like DFAT. For our academic staff, we are in the process of establishing a Learning and Teaching Excellence Center right here at SINU, so that lecturers and tutors can continually refine their teaching skills, learn new pedagogies, and become even better mentors to our students. We recognize that reforms and new policies alone do not automatically create change – it is the people who implement them that truly drive transformation. One lesson I have learned is that recruiting and empowering reform-minded individuals is just as critical as the reform ideas themselves. I have been fortunate to work alongside managers and staff who not only understand the need for change but embrace it. Together, we have been nurturing a professional culture at SINU that values accountability, customer service (to our students), and pride in our institutional mission.

These corporate reforms in assets, partnerships, and people are all designed as enablers to support the overall mission of the University. A stronger financial footing and modern management practices mean one thing: better support for our students’ education. Every dollar we save or earn can be reinvested in new library books, better internet bandwidth, renovated classrooms, laboratories, and dormitories, or scholarships for those in need. I am pleased with the progress we have made on these fronts, and even more pleased by how strongly our staff have rallied behind these changes. In truth, all the positive changes the public sees at SINU in the past three years are attributable to our dedicated staff and our hard-working students. They have carried the vision forward on their shoulders. As Vice-Chancellor, I see my role as standing behind them and supporting them to succeed. If you see success at SINU, it is their success; any shortcomings are mine. I am immensely proud of the team we have and the culture of service that is taking root.

While we celebrate how far we have come, we are ever mindful that the University’s work is never truly finished. There remain areas where we must continue to improve and new challenges on the horizon that we must prepare for. This is the nature of any vibrant institution – we must keep pushing forward. I like to think of SINU’s development as a journey, one with no final destination but constant milestones. As we stand on the strong foundations now built, we also see the unfinished business that will be our priorities moving into the new year and beyond.

Enhancing Student Experience and Welfare: At the heart of our University are the students, and we must persist in improving the quality of their learning experience and campus life. One area requiring ongoing work is our infrastructure for students – from lecture halls and laboratories to libraries, computer labs, and recreational spaces. We know that many of our facilities need upgrades or expansion to accommodate growing enrolments and to provide an environment truly conducive to learning. Plans are underway to improve internet connectivity and ICT resources across all campuses, recognizing that digital access is critical for modern education. We are also exploring ways to expand student accommodation and ensure campus safety. Student welfare extends to ensuring a supportive environment: we want every student to feel that joining SINU is not just attending classes, but becoming part of an intellectual community and a national family. This means strengthening academic advising, mentorship programs, and counseling services, as well as supporting student clubs and extracurricular activities that enrich their university experience. Importantly, we continue to tackle the ongoing challenge of student affordability. Too many of our young people struggle with tuition and fees. I empathize deeply with this – I still remember my own student days when I was suspended from school not once but twice because I could not pay my fees on time. No capable and eager student should have their education derailed for financial reasons. We are actively working with government and sponsors to find solutions, such as more scholarships, flexible fee payment plans, work-study arrangements, and cost-saving measures, to make tertiary education more accessible and affordable. My dream is to see a future where no Solomon Islander is denied higher education due to cost. Achieving that will take concerted effort and resources, but it must remain a central aim for SINU as the national university.

Investing in Our Staff and Teaching Quality: Just as our students deserve the best, our staff deserve the tools and training to give their best. We have begun sending many of our lecturers and support staff for professional development – a practice we will continue and expand. With the establishment of our own Learning and Teaching Center (envisioned for the near future), we plan to institutionalize continuous pedagogical training. The goal is for all our academic staff to regularly undergo upskilling in modern teaching methods, curriculum design, and the use of technology in education. We want to ensure that every lecturer is not only a content expert, but also a skilled teacher and mentor who can inspire critical thinking, creativity, and ethical leadership in our students. Additionally, we are refining our performance evaluation and reward systems to recognize and incentivize excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. Great universities foster a culture where educators are themselves lifelong learners – and that is the culture we are building at SINU.

Never-Ending Mission: Finally, we recognize that SINU’s assignment as a driver of national development is a never-ending mission. There will always be new industries to cater to, new technologies to incorporate, and new societal issues that demand academic insight and solutions. For instance, as climate change impacts our islands, SINU must be at the forefront of training climate scientists, adaptation specialists, and policy experts. As our economy diversifies, SINU should be producing the entrepreneurs, engineers, health professionals, teachers, and public servants who will lead that growth. Each year, we will have new graduates, but also new incoming students with fresh hopes – our duty to them resets and continues. Knowing this, we plan with both urgency and patience: urgency, because every improvement we delay is an opportunity missed for the current generation; patience, because deep and meaningful change in education can take time to bear fruit. What gives me confidence is that the foundations are now solid. With good governance, higher academic standards, and a creative, can-do spirit in our management, SINU is better equipped than ever to tackle whatever unfinished tasks lie ahead. We are committed to continuous improvement, and I have no doubt that the coming years will see SINU reach new heights for the benefit of our students and our nation.

In charting SINU’s future direction and defining our unique identity, one initiative stands out as a true flagship for the University: the Centre for Islands Futures (CIF). Launched this year, CIF encapsulates our ambition to be not just a place of learning, but a catalyst for transformative change rooted in Solomon Islands’ context. It represents a bold, innovative vision of what a national university in the Pacific can be – one that draws from indigenous wisdom, addresses local and global challenges, and positions our country as a leader in knowledge and sustainability.

A Vision of Indigenous Excellence: The Centre for Islands Futures is built on the principle that the Solomon Islands and our Pacific neighbors have world-leading knowledge and practices to offer, grounded in our indigenous worldviews, experiences, and lifeways. CIF’s vision has been described as “the tip of the spear toward island futures” – in other words, it aims to put Solomon Islands at the forefront of redefining education and development through an islander lens. By embedding ancestral wisdom and indigenous perspectives into academic curricula and research, CIF will offer programs that are unique to our islands and our culture. I have often said that I want SINU to offer programmes not available anywhere else – CIF is the platform that will make this a reality. Imagine courses where students learn engineering by studying how our ancestors built resilient artificial islands, or environmental science by examining traditional reef management practices that sustained our communities for centuries. These are not just romantic ideas; they are practical, living knowledge systems that hold solutions for modern challenges. Through CIF, SINU will champion such knowledge, ensuring it is recorded, respected, and infused into our teaching and learning.

Living Laboratories and Decolonizing Education: A hallmark of the Centre for Islands Futures is its emphasis on “living labs” – immersive learning and research experiences in actual communities. Rather than confining learning to lecture rooms, CIF will take students and researchers out to villages, forests, and lagoons, where they will engage directly with community-led projects, traditional leaders, and local innovations. This approach will not only enrich students’ education, it will also bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world practice. CIF is deliberately designed to decolonize education in our context, meaning we purposefully flip the conventional model: instead of viewing knowledge as something that flows from Western centers to our islands, we assert that our islands are themselves centers of knowledge. We will prioritize indigenous epistemologies (ways of knowing) and challenge our students to unlearn any colonial mindsets that undervalue local wisdom. This is a transformative shift – it instills pride in our identity and empowers our people to innovate from a foundation of who we are. The Centre will host dialogues and courses on topics like indigenous governance models, Pacific philosophies, and vernacular approaches to sustainable living, thereby influencing broader discourse on development and governance with island perspectives at the core.

Catalyzing Leadership and Sustainable Development: CIF is not just about heritage; it is equally about futures – specifically, creating sustainable and resilient futures for our islands. Through its programs, the Centre will cultivate future leaders who are critical thinkers, ethical in their approach, and practical in their solutions. These will be the leaders who can marry traditional knowledge with modern science, who can navigate both the coral reef and the digital network with equal skill. For instance, CIF’s planned postgraduate programs (like a postgraduate diploma launching in 2025, and Master’s and PhDs to follow) focus on areas such as climate adaptation, indigenous entrepreneurship, and island governance. Students in these programs will be encouraged – even required – to work on projects that directly benefit Solomon Islands communities or address pressing issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, public health, and education access. By doing so, CIF ensures that knowledge gained is immediately turned into actionable solutions for our people. Moreover, by drawing on local case studies and involving community elders and leaders as co-teachers, the Centre will influence how governance and development are approached at local and national levels. We expect CIF to generate policy recommendations and pilot projects that can guide government and industries toward more sustainable and culturally informed practices.

Global Partnerships and Reach: Although CIF’s heart is in the Solomon Islands, its vision and reach are confidently global. We have already seen tremendous international interest in this initiative. Under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Islands Knowledge Institute (IKI) – an indigenous research organization – CIF has attracted partnerships with major institutions like Arizona State University (USA) and global non-profits such as Nia Tero. These partners have committed expertise and even funding to help us realize the Centre’s potential. In fact, discussions are underway for international universities to send students to participate in CIF programs; one U.S. university has committed financial support, and Arizona State University has expressed interest in sending students in large numbers to learn here in Solomon Islands. Such interest is unprecedented – it means that instead of our students always traveling overseas for exposure, the world’s students will come to us, right here, to learn from our environment and our people. This is a complete reversal of the old narrative and a proud moment for SINU and the country. Through these global collaborations, CIF will also facilitate joint research grants, host annual masterclasses on island innovation, and publish scholarship that elevates Pacific knowledge on the world stage. We envision establishing CIF branches beyond our shores by 2030, partnering with other island nations to spread this concept. Ultimately, our aim is for CIF to achieve international accreditation (for example, with bodies like the Green Climate Fund or Global Environment Facility) so that it can directly channel global funds into local island research and solutions. All of this will reinforce Solomon Islands’ reputation as a global leader in indigenous knowledge and sustainable development.

In short, the Centre for Islands Futures is the flagship of SINU’s new direction because it embodies what is unique about us. It weaves together the threads of our past and future – honoring our indigenous heritage while embracing innovation and technology (such as exploring blockchain for transparent governance or deploying a research vessel for marine studies). It is a bold statement that our small islands have big ideas and that our national university can transform education not only for Solomon Islanders but for the world. As CIF grows in the coming years, I believe it will become a beacon of excellence and a source of national pride, demonstrating what makes SINU distinctly Solomon Islands in character and world-class in quality.

Reflecting on the journey thus far, I am filled with optimism and a deep sense of purpose. In just a few years, through collective effort, SINU has turned a new page. We have moved from a period of well-known challenges into an era of promise and momentum. Our governance is stronger, our academics are improving and expanding, our finances and operations are stabilizing, and our flagship initiatives like CIF are charting an exciting path forward. Yet, perhaps the most important change is less tangible – it is in the mindset and spirit of our University. There is a growing recognition that SINU is not just an educational institution; it is a central agency of national development and transformation. We are, as I often say, an incubator of change. The work we do within our lecture halls, laboratories, and field stations will ripple across society: every competent nurse we train strengthens our healthcare system, every skilled teacher we graduate will elevate countless young minds in their classrooms, every entrepreneur we inspire could create jobs for dozens of families, and every research project we undertake can unlock solutions to local problems. In this way, SINU is the single most important influencer for positive change in our society – the one institution with the mandate to nurture all other sectors by providing educated citizens, new knowledge, and informed discourse.

The role of a national university in a country like ours cannot be overstated. We are uniquely positioned to bind the country together, by being a place where all provinces and all communities meet, share ideas, and strive for progress. We are also where Solomon Islands meets the world, through international partnerships and global perspectives that we infuse into our programs. As Vice-Chancellor, I see SINU’s identity evolving into that of a different kind of university – one that is uniquely Solomon Islands in character. This means a university that reflects our cultural values of community, respect, and reciprocity; a university that prioritizes inclusivity and leaves no one behind; a university that does not seek to copy foreign models wholesale but rather innovates and adapts what works best for our people. We want to offer education that is relevant to our context and yet of a standard that makes it valued anywhere in the world. That is the balance we strive for, and I truly believe we are on the right track.

None of these achievements or aspirations would be possible without the collective effort of many hands and minds. If there is one message I want to underscore, it is that the progress at SINU belongs to all of us. It belongs to the lecturers who put in long hours to update their course materials, to the administrators who tightened financial controls, to the maintenance crews who keep our facilities running, to the policymakers who supported reforms, to the partner organizations that lent expertise, and to the students who continue to work hard and bring honour to our University. It belongs to the families who encourage their sons and daughters to pursue higher education, and to every citizen who believes in the value of knowledge for our nation’s future. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has traveled with me on this journey so far – the Council members, management team, staff, students, alumni, government colleagues, and friends of SINU near and far. Your support and dedication have been the bedrock of our success.

As we look to the new year, we do so with a clear vision and unwavering determination. There is much more to be done, and there will undoubtedly be challenges ahead. But if the past three years have taught us anything, it is that together, we can accomplish the extraordinary. Together, we are building an institution that will serve our people for generations to come, an institution that adapts and leads in a changing world, and an institution that stands as a testament to what Solomon Islanders can achieve through unity and hard work. I have been honoured to serve as Vice-Chancellor during this pivotal chapter of SINU’s story, and I remain humbled by the opportunity to give back to my country in this role.

In closing, I want to wish everyone a restful holiday and a hopeful start to the new year. Let us enter 2026 with pride in how far we have come and with faith in the path we are walking. The Solomon Islands National University will continue to strive, to innovate, and to fulfill its calling as a transformative force for our beloved nation.

May God bless you all, and I extend my best wishes for the New Year.

By Professor Transform AqorauVice-Chancellor, Solomon Islands National University25 December 2025