The Chair of the Higher Education Commission Fiji (HECF), Mr. Steve Chand, held a meeting today with Mr. Jason Liu, the Director of Political Affairs at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Fiji. The primary purpose of this meeting was to engage in preliminary discussions regarding forthcoming strategic deliberations, proposals, and projects.

During their meeting, Mr. Chand and Mr. Liu delved into various facets of the upcoming strategic discussions, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts in the realm of higher education. They explored potential avenues for mutually beneficial projects and exchanged insights on fostering stronger educational ties between Fiji and China. Both parties expressed their commitment to cultivating a robust educational partnership that not only addresses current challenges but also lays the groundwork for sustained growth and cooperation in the future.

Representatives from the tourism sector engaged in a Talanoa Session today—an open discussion expressing concerns about the apparent misalignment between the skills possessed by recent graduates and the evolving demands of the industry. This meeting marked the inaugural academia and industry collaboration stakeholders of Fiji’s tourism sector.

Guiding the Talanoa session, Higher Education Commission Fiji CEO Dr. Rohit Kishore emphasized the overarching goal of ensuring that education and training in Fiji upholds high quality, relevance to the industry, and world-class standards.

“The discussion is a success, noting the eagerness and positive and effective contributions of the participants,” described Dr. Kishore. “This is the first of many more Talanoa discussions, not only for the tourism industry but for the other sectors as well.”

A preliminary discussion to develop a National Certificate II in Small Ruminants took place this week between the Higher Education Commission – Fiji and the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways Fiji. The interest was expressed by the Agricultural Ministry after noting the successful implementation and demand for the National Certificate II in Dairy.

The development of this program is expected to be completed by July 2024.

The Director of the Pacific Academy of Tourism and Hospitality, Mr. Manoj Kumar, is pictured receiving the Recognition Certificate from Mrs. Alimi Korovulavula, Recognition and Registration Officer at the Higher Education Commission – Fiji.

The Minister for Employment, Productivity, and Industrial Relations (MEPIR), Honorable Agni Deo Singh, visited the Higher Education Commission Fiji (HECF). The visit aimed to foster collaboration directed toward advancing the nation’s prosperity, notably centering on pivotal issues like mitigating the widespread skills gap and the emigration of our proficient workforce.

HECF Chair Steve Chand, expressed readiness for collaborative efforts with MEPIR to tackle shared concerns on the agenda.

The Minister of Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua visited the Higher Education Commission Fiji today. He was inspired by the work undertaken by the Commission towards vocational education.

The Minister emphasized the importance of collaboration between sectors to ensure the holistic progress of Fiji’s education sector and the development of Fiji’s economy. He was informed about the involvement of the Police in taking training down to the communities.

The Chair of the Higher Education Commission Fiji, Mr. Steve Chand dedicated his Saturday this weekend to an engaging visit in Nailili, Rewa. He met with both the dedicated staff of Rewa Secondary School and the spirited Catholic Youths attending a weekend camp. Among the significant discussions, Rewa Secondary’s initiative to reopen its Vocational Centre took center stage.

During a separate session, Mr. Chand passionately addressed the youths, delving into the spectrum of government opportunities while shedding light on the critical issue of the exodus of our skilled professionals. His insights aimed to inspire and guide the younger generation toward impactful career pathways.

Meanwhile, the dedicated staff of Rewa Secondary received a directive to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study. This study is pivotal in identifying and pinpointing the most relevant programs for the envisioned Vocational Centre, aligning the institution’s offerings with the current needs and demands of the community and beyond.

Mr Chand was accompanied by Mr Romanu Tikotikoca ( former Commissioner of Police), Mr Harry Smith ( Ministry of Education) and Epi Rawalai ( Higher Education Commission – Fiji).

The Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Fiji (HECF), Mr. Steve Chand, graced the 2023 Graduation Ceremony as the Chief Guest at the Pacific Regional Seminary, held today, Wednesday, November 22, 2023. In a momentous graduation mass, Mr. Chand had the privilege of witnessing the proud recipients being awarded their Diplomas in Theology and Bachelor of Divinity Certificates.

During his address at the reception, Mr. Chand eloquently reminded the graduates that their path leading to this momentous occasion had been paved with unwavering dedication, diligence, and a relentless spirit. Emphasizing that the pursuit of theological education transcends the mere acquisition of knowledge, he highlighted its profound essence: cultivating empathy, fostering understanding, and forging a deeper connection with the world around us.

Mr Chand also talked bout some strategic plans and activities in the higher education sector. He congratulated PRS for completing the review and renewal of its registration with HECF in May this year.

The PRS graduation was a solemn and colourful ceremony that ended with the celebration and the presentation of cultural dances by the students of the respective Pacific Islands.

A delegation from Te Pukenga, New Zealand, paid a courtesy visit to the Higher Education Commission – Fiji – Fiji, where they were warmly welcomed by Mr. Steve Chand, the Chairperson. The team includes Mr. Luke Crosbie and Dr. Linda Aumua, the former director of HECF. Te Pukenga aims to support Pacific Island countries through sustained, long-term projects aimed at fostering development and growth in the region.

This week, the team will be in Fiji, and they are scheduled to travel to Tonga next week.

Te Pūkenga has brought together 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics and nine industry training organisations into one organisation, with the goal of supporting work-based, campus-based and online learning as a unified system right across the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rohit Kishore of the Higher Education Commission Fiji (HECF) is attending the Pacific Qualification Advisory Board (PQAB) workshop from 8-9 November 2023 at the Tokatoka Resort, Nadi.

Dr Kishore presented the work being carried out by the HECF. He also spoke about the Fiji National Qualification Framework and highlighted its relation to the Pacific Qualification Framework (PQF).

The objective of the workshop is to strengthen the Pacific Framework through the Pacific Qualifications Recognition regional project 2023 – 2028.

The Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) in partnership with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is taking steps to strengthen the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF) to support improved recognition of Pacific qualifications.

As part of strengthening the PQF, this workshop will allow the PQAB to step into a stewardship role for the PQF by acting as collective ‘owners’ of the framework and actively giving oversight to the referencing and benchmarking process. By doing this the outcomes of the process will be transparent and trusted, so they can be used in the future to support improved recognition of Pacific qualifications, using the PQF as a translation device between different national qualifications systems.