Photo caption: UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey [centre, back] was joined by Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, HRH Princess Pilolevu and UC students past and present for the launch of the University of Canterbury/Lincoln University Tonga Alumni Association.
The delegation, including Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva, The University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor Pacific and Director of UC's Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies were proud to reconnect with alumni while encouraging momentum around existing and potential partnerships.
The visit was facilitated by former Prime Minister of Tonga and UC alumnus, Lord Feleti Sevele who hosted the delegation alongside the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.
A key milestone of the visit was the launch of the UC/Lincoln University Tonga Alumni Association, reflecting the depth of the University's long-standing relationship with Tonga, and the growing strength of its alumni community in the region.
Alongside alumni engagement, the visit included discussions with senior leaders across Tonga's education, finance and health sectors, including Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua. These conversations explored opportunities to build on existing relationships and identify areas for future collaboration in education, research and technical capability.
The delegation was also proud to mark the launch of a new Macmillan Brown Centre publication, celebrating the legacy of the late Dr ʻEpeli Hauʻofa, one of Tonga's most influential scholars. The publication is a contribution the Macmillan Brown Centre hopes will support the advancement of scholarship in Tonga, while inspiring the country's younger generations.
The visit also provided an opportunity to recognise ongoing community impact initiatives, including work led by Associate Professor Deborah Munro, alongside a cohort of UC engineering students and staff, who travelled to Tonga to support the development of sustainable biomedical solutions for Tongan hospitals.
Deepening and expanding relationships in the Pacific, including with UC alumni living in Tonga, directly supports Goal 7 of the University's Pacific Strategy, which focuses on strengthening connections and engagement locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.
This commitment is reflected in UC's long-standing engagement with Tonga and its education and research partners. Together, these partnerships, publications and people-to-people connections demonstrate how the University is working with Pacific partners to support shared understanding, new thinking and long-term impact.
