FNU formalises collaboration with University of Auckland

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FNU and Auckland University formalised their partnership through an MOU. Picture: SUPPLIED

The Fiji National University (FNU) and the University of Auckland formalised its partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that encourages academic cooperation between the two institutions.

FNU Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr William May said the collaboration was another opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two universities in education and capacity building.

“I’m pleased to note that as per our action plan over the course of our five-year Strategic Plan (2021-2026), FNU intends to conduct research on national issues and priorities and build teaching and research partnerships with regional universities,” he said.

“This aligns with one of our Key Pillars of Conducting Research with Real-World Impact, and on Sphere 3 regarding our Regional outlook and engagement.”

“On this note, I am happy to learn that this MOU has been long-time coming, in the sense that discussions regarding the partnership were initiated almost three years ago, a time before COVID-19. This was spearheaded by our College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences’, who were driven by the need for staff capacity-building.”

Dr May said that as the engagement and cooperation between the two tertiary bodies developed, the need for an official agreement was evident.

“I am told we have both committed to at least four areas of collaboration, which are the; exchange of materials, publications and information, cooperation between professors and research staff, student mobility and joint research and meetings for research,” he said.

“Through this academic cooperation, we look forward to the exchange of knowledge and skills between our students and staff and their Kiwi counterparts.  FNU stands ready to provide the necessary support to ensure that both parties equally benefit from this official collaboration for many years to come.”

University of Auckland Department of Paediatrics Associate Professor Stephen Howie said they were excited to extend and enhance the partnership between both universities.

“The MOU is a way to formalise all of the work that the University of Auckland and FNU will do together moving forward,” he said.

“It also opens the door for wider relationship-building as it is an institution to institution agreement rather than faculty to faculty, so it brings with it huge potential.”

“This is a concrete expression of the University’s Taumata Teitei vision for partnership in the Pacific region.”

As an alumni of the former Fiji School of Medicine, University of Auckland Associate Dean Pacific Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Associate Professor Collin Tukuitonga spoke via Zoom and said he was also excited about what the partnership means for the region and for both universities.

“Fiji School of Medicine has been producing doctors and health workers for the region and is an icon, so to be able to align to share and support each other is fantastic,” Dr Tukuitonga said.

“It gives space for more relationships and for better support for trainees around the region. The hope is that with this MoU being signed, we will now be able to move forward with concrete actions that support both universities”.

FNU College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Acting Dean, Dr Donald Wilson added that both parties would equally benefit from the academic cooperation

“To start, I’d particularly like to see tangible capacity being built in our staff who supervise research, because our intakes for HDR programmes has steadily been increasing,” says Dr Wilson.

“It is a great beginning for FNU.”

Representatives from FNU, the University of Auckland, the New Zealand High Commission, and Cure Kids Fiji were present at the event at FNU Nasinu Campus in Suva, with University of Auckland’s senior management team and other faculty members joining via Zoom.

 

 

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