The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today said it will partner with the Indian government to support higher education services in the Pacific region.
The government through ADB would offer an $1 million grant for the initiative, the multilateral lender said.
"This co-financing agreement is the first support by the Government of India to development in the Pacific and we are very pleased to be the partner of choice," Keith Leonard, who is the Regional Director of ADB's office in the Fiji Islands said in a statement.
The financial support from India aims to leverage the country's extensive experience and technical expertise in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to help improve access to higher education in the Pacific, Leonard added.
Other key activities under the project include upgrading distance and flexible learning programme content with new ICT technology and possible increase of bandwidth.
In addition, active academic partnerships with other educational institutions would be established, it noted.
According to the statement, a joint mission of the ADB and the Indian Government is underway in Fiji to meet with officials of the University of the South Pacific and discuss the status of the project.
ADB said that many Pacific countries have limited access to ICT services, due to poor infrastructure, inadequate human resources and a shortage of education materials.