Nauru President and leader of the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit, Lionel Aingimea has congratulated Dr Hilda Heine on her appointment as the first Micronesian to be selected to the position of pro-chancellor for The University of the South Pacific (USP).
This is a huge accolade for Micronesia and extremely fitting that a great educationalist takes on this role at the region’s premier university.
USP is renowned for nurturing future leaders and having Dr Heine at the helm of the council will provide the leadership required to help USP achieve its aspirational goals.
This appointment follows a trail of notable ‘firsts’ for Dr Heine's whose remarkable career, resilient leadership regionally and internationally demonstrates an exceptional choice by the University Council.
Dr Heine is a seasoned and renowned educator and politician in the Pacific. Having scaled every level of the education fraternity in her career, Dr Heine’s illustrious background and profound knowledge on education are great assets to the University.
Dr Heine is also a strong advocate for climate action and women’s rights and she has pioneered and founded many organisations propelled to protecting the environment and the vulnerable in society.
Dr Heine is not new to USP, having served in her capacity as the Marshall Islands minister for education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the USP council; then as president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands from 2016 to 2020 during which she served as USP chancellor from July 2019 to 12 January 2020.
On behalf of the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit, we wish Dr Heine well in her new leadership role and congratulate her for this milestone achievement, Aingimea said in a statement.
Photo file Caption: Nauru President Lionel Aingimea