UNIVERSITY of Fiji's Centre for International and Regional Affairs, director Robin Nair has resigned following differences with the Vice Chancellor, Mahendra Kumar.
Mr Nair, a former diplomat, handed in his resignation last Friday รน the same day Mr Kumar cancelled two postgraduate courses that were to be run by CIRA this week.
"I resigned when the classes were cancelled unilaterally by the "VC" and against advice from and the registrar and for concocted reasons," Mr Nair said.
Mr Kumar said the courses were being postponed and not cancelled to allow the university time to regularise the admissions and enrolments. "The original advertisement did state that the courses will only be offered if there is a minimum number that would ensure the course is viable," Mr Kumar said.
While there was a large number of applications, there were only five students who had paid their fees, which is $750 a course.
Over 40 students were said to have been enrolled in the courses, which included government officials, workers from regional and international organisations, the private sector and journalists.
Some students were disappointed with the cancellation as they had applied for leave for the two week duration of the course.
The students were notified of the cancellation after 4pm last Friday.
Mr Kumar said because it was the university's graduation ceremony, everyone had been occupied with the important event.