High quality, affordable education top priority


The University of Fiji’s first installation and graduation ceremony, held on March 28, was a successful and memorable event.

The event honoured the university’s first graduates, 49 bright young individuals who had successfully completed studies across the university’s various programmes.

The celebration was also an event to honour the installation of the President of the Fiji, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, as the first Chancellor of The University of Fiji. 

The University of Fiji was established in December 2004 by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji to provide high quality, affordable higher education to many students who had no access to other tertiary institutions.

The university provides opportunities for many students who cannot afford the cost of going overseas or to the University of the South Pacific on the east coast, especially the high cost of fees and accommodation in Suva.

Among the university’s objectives are to provide higher education relevant to Fiji’s needs, but within a global framework and to support Fiji’s development as a sustainable, peaceful, inclusive and progressive society committed to good governance.

The main campus of the university is situated in Saweni, 15 kilometres from Nadi International Airport. In 2007, the University of Fiji Suva Campus was also established.

The university offers courses through its schools at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate degree and post-graduate levels in disciplines such as Accounting, Economics, Management, Computing Science, Information Technology, Mathematics, Language and Literature.

In 2007, a Masters in Educational Leadership programme and studies in Fijian Language and Culture were introduced. In 2008, the university began offering MBBS (medicine) and LLB (law) degrees, as well as Hindi Language and Culture.

• The university is also supported by six Centres of Excellence:
• Centre for Indigenous Studies (CIS);
• Centre for International and Regional Affairs (CIRA);
• Gandhi-Tappoo Centre for Writing, Ethics and Peace Studies (WEPS);
• Centre for Diasporic Studies (CDS);
• Centre for Gender Research (CGR); and
• Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development.

The University of Fiji is now a registered and recognised provider of education in Fiji. It provides quality higher education at affordable prices and is especially attractive to West coast students.

The university’s first graduation and installation ceremony was an important step in the consolidation of the university’s growing reputation as a quality tertiary education provider in Fiji.

The chancellor made a special address at the event. Iloilo spoke warmly about the university, its character and progress.

He was especially pleased by the university’s efforts to contribute to nation-building. 

Iloilo conveyed his approval of the university’s initiative for compulsory basic courses in Fijian and Hindi to be undertaken by all students at the university. 

“Our future depends on our ability and desire to understand each other better, to communicate with each other betterŃand to assist each other.

“Being able to communicate in each other’s language is vital for this,” he said.

Iloilo also commended the university’s emphasis on ethics and good governance and expressed his pleasure that the government had given full recognition to the university and provided budgetary assistance.

“I hope this becomes a regular part of the budget in the future,” he added.

University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Rajesh Chandra, also presented a report.

He spoke of the significant achievements of the University of Fiji to-date and its commitment to promoting greater access to higher education for all Fiji citizens.

“The University of Fiji is founded on a strong philosophy of promoting increased access to affordable higher education,” he said.

Chandra also spoke of new developmentsŃthe most significant being the establishment of two new schools -- Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and the School of Law.

The ceremony was well attended, with an audience totalling approximately 550 people, including cabinet ministers, members of the judiciary, business and community leaders, staff, friends of the university, and chiefs and people of Vuda.

Joycelyn Shri Devi, recipient of the 2008 Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for academic excellence, and now a tutor in accounting at the University of the South Pacific, presented a moving vote of thanks during the ceremony.
Devi spoke highly of the university and the support and services it had provided its students.

“It has provided its graduates with an affordable choice of higher education and we should respect this. I pray that the University of Fiji continues to prosper and do its good work,” she said.