UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDER ASSOCIATION
Community | Culture | Challenge
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UQSPIA HISTORY
Origin Story
Established in 2014, The University of Queensland South Pacific Islander Association (UQSPIA) is the heart and dream of a small group of UQ Pasifika students. Their hope was to create a society, home, and safe space for Pasifika students making their journey in tertiary education and welcome Pasifika youth of various pathways, to meet, share, and thrive in their academic, cultural, and spiritual commitments as a village, a family.
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Today, UQSPIA welcomes on average 120 members annually, is a champion name on the sporting field, has established milestone community outreach initiative - INSPIA, founded the UQSPIA Student Scholarship and collaborated with UQ Life to bring UQ's first ever celebration of the Pacific: Mana of the Pacific.
Alongside our initiatives and events we hold on campus at UQ, UQ SPIA has worked with fellow student Pasifika Associations from QUT, Griffith and ACU to establish and run annually our two day sports carnival, the Pasifika Varsity Games.
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It is our commitment to embrace, share, and celebrate Pasifika culture, voices, and people. We welcome you to join our village, our family and let the oceans that connect us be the beginning of shared stories and journeys.
Culture | Community | Challenge
MISSION & VISION
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"To strengthen the presence of and empower Pacific Islanders on and off-campus at the University of Queensland and to create a network of old, new, existing and potential students in the university of Pacific Islander and non-Pacific Islander background; to recognise and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific; to be involved in the wider community."
UQSPIA AWARDS &Â ACHIEVEMENTS
As a society, we strive to create events, experiences and memories our members and wider community can always reflect on and share with pride. We are blessed to have been honoured with various awards and achievements over the years to signafy the quality of these efforts and the impact we have made.
2022
Club of the Year - International
Exec TRL Gala Day Champions
2021
Cultural Event of the Year - Mana of the Pacific: Gatton Edition
UQIC Gala Day Netball Champions
UQIC Gala Day Rugby Champions
2020
UQIC Netball Champions
UQIC Rugby Champions
UQIC Division 2 TRL Champions
2019
Event of the Year - Cultural Night 2019
2018
Video of the Year - INSPIA
2017
Community Outreach Program of the Year - INSPIA
2015
Club of the Year - International
