PDLD at USP - Funding for students

Dear Colleagues,

The University of the South Pacific (USP) has for many years offered the premier qualification in legislative drafting in the South Pacific, namely, the Professional Diploma in Legislative Drafting (PDLD). The PDLD is a 30-week programme in which participants learn practical skills in translating government policies into clear and effective laws that can be understood and applied by a variety of stakeholders.

The PDLD programme will be run again in 2008 by distance education, with Tony Lawson and Daiana Buresova -- experienced legislative drafters at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat -- acting as course coordinators and tutors.

In 2008, the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has agreed to fund a number of students from Pacific Region Commonwealth countries to undertake the PDLD. The funding will be used to sponsor successful applicants by covering the full tuition fees for the programme. Because COL funding is limited, applications will be assessed on a competitive basis. Citizens of non-Commonwealth countries or suspended Commonwealth countries are not eligible for sponsorship.

I would be grateful if you could advertise the programme as widely as possible among your contacts. The closing date for applications is Friday, 21 March 2008, and the programme will commence on Monday, 21 April.

Please see these documents, available through the links on the right:

• a brochure setting out the content of the programme and the admission requirements
• an application form for admission into the PDLD, which must be sent to Suva once completed, and
• an application for sponsorship under the Commonwealth of Learning scholarships scheme, which must also be sent to Suva.

USP's contact point for this programme is Mrs Prem Shekhar in the Suva Division of the School of Law, whose details are listed on the forms.

Please feel free to contact me if you need further details. In the meantime, I hope you can generate substantial interest amongst your colleagues in helping to build regional capacity in legislative drafting through the USP professional diploma.

With kind regards
Brian Opeskin

Professor Brian Opeskin
Head of the Law School
University of the South Pacific
PMB 9072, Port Vila
Vanuatu, South Pacific
T: +(678) 22748 (ext 163)
F: +(678) 27785
www.vanuatu.usp.ac.fj