The IEEE Student Chapter at The University of the South Pacific (USP) successfully hosted its annual Entrepreneurial Conference at the Laucala Campus in Suva, fostering a dynamic environment for innovation and professional growth.
The event, held in August 2025, brought together students, industry experts, and academic leaders to bridge the gap between engineering education and real-world entrepreneurial success.
A Platform for Inspiration and Skill Development
In his welcome address, IEEE USP Student Chapter Counselor, Krish Kumar Raj, set the tone for the day. He emphasized the event’s role in helping students develop crucial knowledge and skills, noting the subsection’s recent recognition as a top performer in the vast IEEE Region 10.
This conference is all about inspiring innovation and helping students see how engineering skills can translate into entrepreneurial success.
Raj
The value for attendees was immediately clear. Student Taanvi Singh shared that the conference was “extremely helpful in enhancing my knowledge of entrepreneurship.” She highlighted the practical insights from guest speakers on financing startups, management skills, and effective business pitching techniques.
Fellow student Divyesh Kumar Mistry gained a new perspective on innovation. “When I left the conference, I had a sharper lens for communicating value and a deeper appreciation for resilience,” Mistry reflected. “It reinforced a simple conclusion: entrepreneurs blend vision with execution.”
Keynote Insights: From Boardrooms to Cybersecurity
The conference featured powerful keynote presentations designed to spark ideas.
Seymour Singh, Chief Strategic and Information Officer at the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), presented “From Classroom to Boardroom.” He outlined the importance of entrepreneurship for engineers, highlighted opportunities in Fiji’s water sector, and shared essential management skills and common startup pitfalls.
Following this, Maanvik Gounder, a Cybersecurity Analyst at Carpenters Fiji Pte Ltd, explored the cutting-edge intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and entrepreneurship. His talk encouraged young engineers to explore these rapidly evolving fields and highlighted strategies for protecting innovative ideas in the local business landscape.
An interactive Q&A session allowed students to dive deeper into practical topics like copyright procedures and intellectual property protection in Fiji.
Celebrating Achievements and Looking Ahead
The IEEE USP Student Chapter also took the opportunity to recap its achievements, including workshops, community service initiatives like providing computers to village schools, and securing funding for student-led projects. Exciting upcoming events like a Gala Night and an IEEE Game Night were announced to keep the community engaged.
Students were strongly encouraged to participate in the ongoing IEEE Idea Pitch Competition 2025, where the top three Fijian finalists could have their ideas reviewed by international judges and potentially showcased at GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai.
Dr. Utkal Mehta, Secretary of the IEEE Fiji Subsection, underscored the long-term impact of such initiatives:
Supporting initiatives like this empowers students to develop leadership, technical, and entrepreneurial skills that will benefit Fiji’s STEMP community for years to come.
The IEEE Entrepreneurial Conference 2025 successfully provided a platform for knowledge-sharing, professional inspiration, and networking, equipping USP’s future engineers with the tools to become tomorrow’s innovators.