The National University of Samoa began with a budget of SAT$5 and with only 45 students, now the institution boasts more than 3,000 students and has a budget of $30 million.

The NUS started the commemoration of its 40th anniversary with a march through town on Wednesday morning.

The Minister of Education and Culture, Seuula Ioane said that from 1984 to 2024, the National University of Samoa has produced 25,647 graduates.

Of that number, 41 per cent or 10,537 are Foundation graduates, 34 per cent 8,789 Undergraduate Degree and Higher Degree graduates. The remaining 25 per cent or 6,321 TVET graduates.

He added that the growth and success of NUS over the years had not only enriched individual lives but also left an indelible mark on the development of Samoa as a whole, underlining the institution's integral role in societal advancement.

"Families, villages, churches, and Samoa as a whole have benefitted in one way or another from the education that their children received from the National University of Samoa," he said.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, hundreds of students, teachers, staff government leaders and the community marched the beach road Apia to the Government building to mark the auspicious celebration.

A special service was held in front of the Government building to begin the formalities of the special commemoration.

Meanwhile, two days earlier on Monday a Grant Agreement for the "Project for the Improvement of Facilities at the Faculty of Health Science at NUS was signed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Samoa.

This agreement injects funds of up to approximately SAT$44.5 million which allows for the construction of a Faculty of Health Science complex on the Le Papaigalagala Campus, housing facilities for education and training, including FOHS lecture rooms, medical laboratories and the Learning Resource Center (LRC) – incorporating a library and lecture theatre.

Minister for Finance Lautimuia Uelese Afoa Va’ai and JICA Resident Representative Yumiko Asakuma penned the agreement.

The far-reaching impact of the project extends beyond Samoa, directly benefiting students and teaching staff at FOHS, including those from neighbouring Pacific Island Countries such as the Solomon Islands and Tokelau, where medical schools are scarce. 

The far-reaching impact of the project extends beyond Samoa, directly benefiting students and teaching staff at FOHS, including those from neighbouring Pacific Island Countries such as the Solomon Islands and Tokelau, where medical schools are scarce.