The Asian Development Bank and the Kiribati government have agreed to a first loan package to fund an upgrade of the Tarawa campus of the University of the South Pacific.
The ADB's Pacific Department director general, Xianbin Yao, says this will lead to higher education becoming more accessible for Kiribati students.
The first loan of 2.6 million US dollars is guaranteed by the Kiribati government and will support improved ICT connectivity, construction of additional classrooms, and student and administrative facilities at the new Kiribati campus.
Enrolment in higher education in the Pacific region remains low, with rates ranging from ten percent in Fiji to less than five percent in most other Pacific island countries.
There are more than 800 Kiribati students enrolled at USP, and the number has been increasing.
But lack of physical capacity and limited academic programmes at the Kiribati campus have hindered opportunities.
