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{{Short description|Vice Chancellor}}
[[File:Pal Ahluwalia (cropped).jpg|thumb|Ahluwalia in 2020]]
'''Pal Ahluwalia''' is a Kenyan academic and the [[Vice-chancellor|Vice-Chancellor]] of [[University of the South Pacific]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reporter|first=P. M. C.|title=Pal Ahluwalia: 'My vision is to make USP one of the world's great universities' {{!}} Asia Pacific Report|url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2020/06/16/pal-ahluwalia-my-vision-is-to-make-usp-one-of-the-worlds-great-universities/|access-date=2020-12-04|language=en-US}}</ref>

Ahluwalia was born in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]],<ref name=FT2019a>{{cite news |title=How Prof Pal fell in love with Fiji and his love for God |work=Fiji Times |date=18 August 2019 |via=PressReader}}</ref> and educated at the [[University of Saskatchewan]] in [[Canada]] and [[Flinders University]] in [[Australia]].<ref name=RNZAppoint>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/359065/usp-appoints-new-vice-chancellor-and-president |title=USP appoints new vice-chancellor and president |publisher=RNZ |date=7 June 2018 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=PMC2020>{{cite web |url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2020/06/16/pal-ahluwalia-my-vision-is-to-make-usp-one-of-the-worlds-great-universities/ |title=Pal Ahluwalia: 'My vision is to make USP one of the world's great universities' |publisher=Pacific Media Center |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> He worked as a professor of politics at the [[University of Adelaide]]<ref name=PMC2020/> and then as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the [[University of South Australia]].<ref name=RNZAppoint/> In October 2014 he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor at the [[University of Portsmouth]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.charterforforgiveness.org/professor-pal-ahluwalia/ |title=PROFESSOR PAL AHLUWALIA |publisher=Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> In June 2018, Ahluwalia was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific.<ref name=RNZAppoint/>

== Dispute with Fijian Government ==
In 2019, Ahluwalia raised concerns about mismanagement and abuse of office at USP under the leadership of the previous Vice-Chancellor, [[Rajesh Chandra]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/397959/usp-to-enforce-report-on-mismanagement-and-abuse-of-office|title= USP to enforce report on mismanagement and abuse of office|website= [[Radio New Zealand]]|date= 2 September 2019|access-date=2020-06-22}}</ref> An investigation by New Zealand accounting firm BDO substantiated the allegations, and the report was subsequently leaked online.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/465914749/Bdo-Report-PDF|title=BDO report about mismanagement at USP|access-date=2020-06-22}}</ref> In June 2020, a special council meeting led by Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson suspended Ahluwalia for unspecified "misconduct".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/418628/commotion-at-usp-over-vice-chancellor-s-suspension |title=Commotion at USP over Vice-Chancellor's suspension |publisher=RNZ |date=10 June 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> Staff protesting the suspension were questioned by Fijian police.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/419140/usp-saga-continues-with-fiji-police-questioning-of-staff |title=USP saga continues with Fiji police questioning of staff |publisher=RNZ |date=16 June 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> On 19 June Ahluwalia was reinstated by a full meeting of the USP council,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/419420/usp-council-reinstates-suspended-vc |title=USP Council reinstates suspended VC |publisher=RNZ |date=19 June 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> and the allegations against him were dismissed in September 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/425276/usp-vice-chancellor-cleared |title=USP Vice-Chancellor cleared |publisher=RNZ |date=4 September 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref>

The Fijian government refused to accept Ahluwalia's exoneration, and on 24 September 2020 halted all funding to the university.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/426829/usp-crisis-continues-as-fiji-govt-halts-funding |title=USP crisis continues as Fiji govt halts funding |publisher=RNZ |date=24 September 2020 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/435776/head-of-pacific-university-to-be-deported-by-fiji |title=Head of Pacific university to be deported by Fiji |publisher=RNZ |date=4 February 2021 |access-date=4 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/05/whistleblower-vice-chancellor-deported-after-midnight-raid-by-fiji-police |title=Whistleblower vice-chancellor deported after midnight raid by Fiji police |author=Ben Doherty |work=The Guardian |date=4 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-04/fiji-pal-ahluwalia-vc-deportation-university-of-south-pacific/13120256 |title=Fiji deports Australian university professor during 'incredibly damaging' day for Pacific unity |author=Liam Fox |publisher=ABC News |date=4 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2021/02/04/fiji-immigration-officials-police-detain-usp-chief-ahluwalia-reports-radio/ |title=Fiji immigration officials, police deport USP chief Ahluwalia in swoop |publisher=Asia-Pacific Report |date=4 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2021}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://islandsbusiness.com/islands-business/news-break/university-of-the-south-pacific-vc-to-be-reinstated/ |title=University of the South Pacific VC Ahluwalia gets new contract |author=Samisoni Pareti |publisher=Islands Business |date=25 May 2021 |access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref> In August 2021 the Fijian government announced that it would not fund the university as long as Ahluwalia was vice-chancellor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/449534/fiji-govt-says-it-won-t-fund-university-while-professor-is-vp |title=Fiji govt says it won't fund university while professor is VP |publisher=RNZ |date=19 August 2021 |access-date=19 August 2021}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/rabuka-directs-lifting-of-prohibition-orders/ |title=Rabuka directs lifting of prohibition orders |publisher=FBC News |author=Apenisa Waqairadovu |date=26 December 2022 |access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref>

== Publications ==

# ''Politics and Post-colonial Theory: African Inflections''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ahluwalia|first=Pal|url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203187890|title=Politics and Post-Colonial Theory : African Inflections|date=2012-12-06|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-18789-0|language=en}}</ref>
# ''Post-colonialism and the Politics of Kenya''
# ''Plantations and the Politics of Sugar in Uganda''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ahluwalia|first=D. Pal S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mJEuAQAAIAAJ|title=Plantation and the Politics of Sugar in Uganda|date=1995|publisher=Fountain Publishers|isbn=978-9970-02-057-7|language=en}}</ref>
# Post-structuralism's Colonial Roots<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ahluwalia|first=Pal|date=2010-09-01|title=Post-structuralism's colonial roots: Michel Foucault|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2010.509563|journal=Social Identities|volume=16|issue=5|pages=597–606|doi=10.1080/13504630.2010.509563|s2cid=144301079|issn=1350-4630}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahluwalia, Pal}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Nairobi]]
[[Category:Ahluwalia]]
[[Category:University of Saskatchewan alumni]]
[[Category:Flinders University alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Adelaide]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of South Australia]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Portsmouth]]
[[Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of the South Pacific]]
[[Category:Heads of universities and colleges]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Pal Ahluwalia - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Add new article