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Pal Ahluwalia

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Pal Ahluwalia is a Kenyan academic and the Vice-Chancellor of University of the South Pacific.[1]

Ahluwalia in 2020

Ahluwalia was born in Nairobi, Kenya,[2] and educated at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and Flinders University in Australia.[3][4] He worked as a professor of politics at the University of Adelaide[4] and then as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of South Australia.[3] In October 2014 he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Portsmouth.[5] In June 2018, Ahluwalia was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific.[3]

Dispute with Fijian Government

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In 2019, Ahluwalia raised concerns about mismanagement and abuse of office at USP under the leadership of the previous Vice-Chancellor, Rajesh Chandra.[6] An investigation by New Zealand accounting firm BDO substantiated the allegations, and the report was subsequently leaked online.[7] In June 2020, a special council meeting led by Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson suspended Ahluwalia for unspecified "misconduct".[8] Staff protesting the suspension were questioned by Fijian police.[9] On 19 June Ahluwalia was reinstated by a full meeting of the USP council,[10] and the allegations against him were dismissed in September 2020.[11]

The Fijian government refused to accept Ahluwalia's exoneration, and on 24 September 2020 halted all funding to the university.[12] On 4 February 2021, the Fijian government summarily deported Vice-Chancellor Ahluwalia for being "a person who is or has been conducting himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands".[13][14][15][16] On 25 May the university's council issued a new three-year contract to Ahluwalia and relocate the Vice-Chancellor's office to the Alafua Campus in Apia, Samoa.[17] In August 2021 the Fijian government announced that it would not fund the university as long as Ahluwalia was vice-chancellor.[18]

Following the 2022 Fijian general election, the new government led by Sitiveni Rabuka revoked the prohibition order on Ahluwalia, allowing him to return to Fiji.[19]

Publications

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  1. Politics and Post-colonial Theory: African Inflections[20]
  2. Post-colonialism and the Politics of Kenya
  3. Plantations and the Politics of Sugar in Uganda[21]
  4. Post-structuralism's Colonial Roots[22]

References

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  1. ^ Reporter, P. M. C. (16 June 2020). "Pal Ahluwalia: 'My vision is to make USP one of the world's great universities' | Asia Pacific Report". Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  2. ^ "How Prof Pal fell in love with Fiji and his love for God". Fiji Times. 18 August 2019 – via PressReader.
  3. ^ a b c "USP appoints new vice-chancellor and president". RNZ. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Pal Ahluwalia: 'My vision is to make USP one of the world's great universities'". Pacific Media Center. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  5. ^ "PROFESSOR PAL AHLUWALIA". Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  6. ^ "USP to enforce report on mismanagement and abuse of office". Radio New Zealand. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  7. ^ "BDO report about mismanagement at USP". Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  8. ^ "Commotion at USP over Vice-Chancellor's suspension". RNZ. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  9. ^ "USP saga continues with Fiji police questioning of staff". RNZ. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  10. ^ "USP Council reinstates suspended VC". RNZ. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  11. ^ "USP Vice-Chancellor cleared". RNZ. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  12. ^ "USP crisis continues as Fiji govt halts funding". RNZ. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Head of Pacific university to be deported by Fiji". RNZ. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  14. ^ Ben Doherty (4 February 2021). "Whistleblower vice-chancellor deported after midnight raid by Fiji police". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  15. ^ Liam Fox (4 February 2021). "Fiji deports Australian university professor during 'incredibly damaging' day for Pacific unity". ABC News. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Fiji immigration officials, police deport USP chief Ahluwalia in swoop". Asia-Pacific Report. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  17. ^ Samisoni Pareti (25 May 2021). "University of the South Pacific VC Ahluwalia gets new contract". Islands Business. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Fiji govt says it won't fund university while professor is VP". RNZ. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  19. ^ Apenisa Waqairadovu (26 December 2022). "Rabuka directs lifting of prohibition orders". FBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  20. ^ Ahluwalia, Pal (2012-12-06). Politics and Post-Colonial Theory : African Inflections. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-18789-0.
  21. ^ Ahluwalia, D. Pal S. (1995). Plantation and the Politics of Sugar in Uganda. Fountain Publishers. ISBN 978-9970-02-057-7.
  22. ^ Ahluwalia, Pal (2010-09-01). "Post-structuralism's colonial roots: Michel Foucault". Social Identities. 16 (5): 597–606. doi:10.1080/13504630.2010.509563. ISSN 1350-4630. S2CID 144301079.
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