THE Solomon Islands National University (SINU) has appointed Dr Transform Aqorau as professor and director of its newly established Institute of Ocean, Islands and Sustainable Development (IOISD) at the School of Fisheries.
A statement from SINU on Monday (17th January 2022) said Dr Aqorau joined the university last year as visiting professor and was appointed director of the Institute of Ocean, Islands and Sustainable Development (IOISD) shortly after.
Speaking on his appointment, Professor Aqorau said he is humbled and thankful for the opportunity to serve the country and the university with the appointment.
“I will do my best to help establish the institute, develop a programme of research, secure funds and personnel and mentor a successor,” he said.
He said the IOISD could potentially be a flagship for SINU where real expertise could be developed in the productive sectors to sustain the country’s economy particularly in forestry, agriculture, oceans and other natural resources.
“In the short to medium term, we can look to develop one to five days fully cost recovery tailored, but competency-based training for the various government ministries and agencies engaged in natural resources management.
“This should lead to the development of an applied post-graduate certificate in natural resources management which should be fully accredited at USP and other NZ and Australian Universities,” Professor Aqorau said.
He further reiterated that the development of the institute, securing its financial independence and attracting strategic partnerships would require a lot of collaboration with the different stakeholders and development partners such as GEF, Green Climate Fund, SIG Ministries, International and Regional Research Institutions and Universities.
“It will take time and a lot of effort, but I believe we are able to achieve this goal,” Professor Aqorau said.
