Fiji National University: An Eminent Institution in Fiji

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Fiji National University An Eminent Institution
in Fiji
Empowering and educating students with an
extensive array of academic, technical, and
vocational programs! Presenting one of the
renowned and dynamic institutions of Fiji, which
has been a center for educational excellence
Fiji National University. With the aim of
guiding students on their learning journey and
ensuring they are connected with the pathway to
their dream careers, Fiji National University
came into existence in 2010. Fiji National
University (FNU), which was formally amalgamated
into a dual TvET/High Ed sector 13 years ago,
has a rich and colorful history of relevant
education that dates back to the founding of its
component colleges in 1882. Every year, almost
25,000 students come through the university. In
its thirteen years of existence, FNU has also
accomplished numerous milestones in terms of
introducing new programs, raising standards of
quality, and using its five colleges to
contribute to publications and research. The
Woman of the Hour Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba
is the Vice Chancellor of FNU. She holds a
doctorate (Ph.D.) in education, having
previously earned first-class undergraduate and
master's degrees with distinctions, respectively.
She is a professional educator with expertise in
international education, higher education, and
development. Her professional career has spanned
about 40 years, during which she demonstrated
strong and effective leadership abilities at the
national, regional (Pacific Islands and Oceania),
and international levels. She has also had
managerial, technical, and academic expertise.
She is currently a professor of education and the
acting vice chancellor of the Fiji National
University. She had previously worked for seven
years at the University of Guam before taking a
leave of absence in October 2017 as a tenured
professor of education to return and support the
development of Fiji's own national
university. She has an intense curiosity about
mentoring recent graduates from the Pacific,
including early-career researchers and
undergraduates. She has written several books and
has more than 200 publications. In 2007, the
American Educational Research Association (AERA
International Indigenous Education SIG)
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recognized her Ph.D. thesis and book, "Knowing
and Learning An Indigenous Fijian Approach," as
a noteworthy contribution to indigenous and
global knowledge in education. Her work
experience spans several countries, including
Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu,
the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, New
Zealand, Yap, Pohnpei, Rota, Saipan (CNMI), Guam,
and Palau, with brief stints in the US. FNU's
Distinctive Learning Portfolio FNU offers
certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas,
degrees, postgraduate qualifications, and skills
upgrading for those who are already in
employment. The institution continues to honor
its tradition of imparting higher education,
technical and vocational training (TVET), and
foreign, regional, and Fijian students. Their
primary objective is to develop, strengthen, and
reskill a workforce that is capable and has the
right soft skills for Fiji, the Pacific region,
and beyond. Through a thriving Alumni
Association, FNU stays in touch with its students
and is dedicated to enhancing its support
services for admission, retention, progression,
completion, career guidance, and graduate
outcomes. Among its student-focused services are
foundation and transition programs that support
the adjustment to university life and career
counseling that enables students to make
well-informed decisions about their future. "We
are dedicated to providing inclusive, top-notch
education to all Fijians through our dual-sector
approach. This implies that FNU is open to
everyone wishing to pursue postgraduate or
undergraduate tertiary education. Our programs
are tailored to fit the schedules of working
adults, offering flexible class times so they
may continue their professional obligations while
upgrading their skills, the leading lady
apprised. Value-driven Mission and Vision
Vision Fiji National University is envisioned to
be the leading dual-sector public university
predicated on inclusiveness, innovation, and
accessibility for Fiji and the Pacific. Mission
Their mission is to serve the people of Fiji and
the Pacific region with leadership that engages
with people and communities, respects
partnership, enhances excellence, provides
educational and skills opportunities, promotes
sustainability through research with real-world
impact, and contributes to self-development and
employability. The Key Differentiating Factors
That Make FNU "A Shining Star of the Education
Landscape" FNU expands beyond urban and suburban
areas of the various provinces to give access to
and maintain touch with potential and continuing
students, respectively. through more than ten
campuses and numerous centers around the nation.
This assures that students in both trade and
higher education programs can access
high-quality, reasonably priced education. They
provide competitive tuition fees and various
financial assistance schemes to ensure the
financial situations of students and their
families do not hinder their academic dreams and
progress. To ensure a wider reach of information
about FNU, the university organizes enrollment
drive campaigns such as roadshows. There are
more than 300 programs available at FNU. These
offer many admission routes for students
according to their academic levels and cover
certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas,
undergraduate, and postgraduate degrees.
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Additionally, FNU has grown throughout the area,
offering short-term training programs on islands
like Nauru that enable learners to earn official
certifications. FNU's Insights on Diversity and
Inclusion As a dual-sector university, FNU
strongly believes in equality and inclusion
across its TVET and higher education streams of
learning. Major global developments of their
time, including changes in population, refugee
and migrant crises, rising inequality, and
climate change, have all contributed to the
growing variety observed in nations,
communities, and educational settings. Accordingl
y, FNU's main Nasinu campus in the Central
Division is home to a disability center. In
addition to facilitating access and inclusion
for students with disabilities, the purpose-built
facility will also be in charge of organizing
support services, granting acceptable academic
accommodations, and raising awareness of
disabilities among the university community. The
Center is prepared and dedicated to helping
students with disabilities meet their academic
objectives. The university is also in the
process of developing a Gender Equality,
Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)
strategy to further promote inclusion among
students, staff, and the wider university
community. The Impact of the Pandemic Positive
and Negative The pandemic forced the university
to transition to distance education, but this was
nothing new for FNU as the majority of their
pre-pandemic courses and learning were also
delivered virtually and using an online learning
management system. The university fully
implemented online learning processes while
taking into account the characteristics and
experiences of its students, some of whom had
restricted access to laptops or other suitable
learning devices due to network connectivity
issues. Case-by-case discretion was used to
provide flexibility in order to protect student
safety and learning. The pandemic also provided
the opportunity for the university to fully
explore online learning and teaching and
consistently improve its delivery through this
medium for a more fulfilling experience for
students. Overcoming the Hurdles Along the
Way Given its recent founding, FNU faces
numerous obstacles. Among these are the Pacific
Youth's and Fiji's ravenous need for education
and skill development. Aware of the substantial
youth population, FNU continues to respond by
collaborating with pertinent parties to offer
suitable programs, particularly at the Tvet
level. One such initiative is their creative arts
program. The competitive tertiary education
environment in Fiji, where there are other
notable, established, and, in certain areas,
well-resourced institutions, presents another
difficulty for the newly established university.
Despite this, they have worked to improve their
programs and offer a supportive and empowering
atmosphere, all backed by an aggressive marketing
plan that reaches even the most remote regions
of the nation. Dedicated to the Betterment of
the University In light of the existential
threat posed by climate change to Fiji, Professor
Unaisi, in her role as Vice- Chancellor, hopes
to be remembered for her unwavering commitment to
the betterment of the university, the positive
influence she had on her peers and students, and
her never-ending pursuit of and engagement in
realistic, straightforward, and mundane practices
and activities of sustainability. The Future
Outlook Moving on from its ambitious goal to
propel the institute, FNU is finalizing its
Strategic Plan 20242026 with a longer-term
vision until 2037. FNU's SP 24-26 Education for
Wisdom and Sustainability Shaping
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Fiji's Future establishes their collective
aspirations that the next three years will see
FNU build better and stronger as it brings them
to its 15th year of existence as an amalgamated
university. Similar to this, Vision 2037
outlines their longer-term goals for FNU's future
(20272037), emphasizing the improvement of
research, teaching, and learning in order to
provide Fiji and the Pacific with sustainable
solutions. Thank You.