Abstract:
Our Strategy is being developed in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already had far reaching impact across the world, including on institutions of higher education. For many people this has been the most disruptive and difficult experience of their lifetime. Yet the pandemic is just one of a number of significant external
conditions which affect our University including climate change, changing social attitudes and demographic shifts, and rapid transformation via technology.
We are a distinctively Samoan university with a strong place-based mission. We are a civic anchor which has helped rebuild and grow our local economy, preserved and enhanced Samoa’s natural and built environments, and culture. And yet a distinctly Samoan university cannot be viewed in isolation – we are entwined in the affairs of the world. Great universities build bridges; they strive for connection and broaden their understanding of diverse peoples and places. Our social contract extends to our ability to
learn from, teach and collaborate with the best in the world. Our ability to achieve influence at a local level is shaped by longstanding international networks that give us a globally informed perspective. We will sustain our networks and build new bridges to ensure that we remain an internationally connected university for staff and students.
