University of the South Pacific is a State Owned institution headquartered in Fiji, founded in 1968, and employing approximately 3220 individuals. Functioning as a public research university focusing on Higher Education, the University of the South Pacific operates with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the governments of 12 Pacific island countries: the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.