FNU Senior Leadership Team with the representatives of the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, during the MoU signing at the FNU Nasinu Campus.

The Fiji National University (FNU) and the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, that will provide six third year students studying Economics and related fields with industrial attachment opportunities, at the Ministry, every year.

Under the MoU, each student will undertake a three-month attachment, gaining practical workplace experience and exposure to the Ministry’s operations, including the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.

The MoU was formalised at the FNU Nasinu Campus yesterday, marking a significant step towards strengthening collaboration between the Government and academia, in supporting Fiji’s national development priorities.

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Mr Peni Sikivou, highlighted that the MoU would establish a structured platform for FNU students, to gain practical experience and develop the skills required to contribute meaningfully to Fiji’s development.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Mr Peni Sikivou, delivered his address.

“Our young people must be equipped not only with qualifications, but with the practical experience, critical thinking, technical capabilities and professional values required to participate meaningfully in Fiji’s development. This is why the partnership we are formalising today is so important.”

“We see this MoU as an important contribution to strengthening Fiji’s human capital and institutional capability. I commend the teams from both the Ministry and the Fiji National University for the work undertaken to bring this partnership to fruition,” said Mr Sikivou.

Mr Sikivou emphasised that achieving Fiji’s national development aspirations, including those outlined in the National Development Plan 2025–2029 and Vision 2050, depends fundamentally on the quality, capability and resilience of its people.

He noted that the increasingly complex and interconnected challenges facing Fiji, required stronger collaboration between Government, academia, the private sector and other development partners.

“This MoU is particularly important because the challenges confronting Fiji are increasingly complex and interconnected. They require Government, academia, the private sector and other partners to draw on their respective strengths and work together. Government brings the policy mandate and national development perspective. Academia brings research, innovation and intellectual capital. When these strengths are connected, we create greater opportunities for evidence to inform policy and for policy to translate into meaningful outcomes,” he expressed.

FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, said the attachment opportunities would enable students to gain valuable professional experience while developing a better understanding of workplace expectations and the practical application of their academic knowledge.

FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, delivered her remarks.

“They will see how economic information is gathered and analysed, how policies are developed and how the work of the Ministry contributes to decisions affecting our country,” Professor Nabobo-Baba shared.

I look forward to our students taking up attachment opportunities, our academics working with Ministry officials on research and policy matters, and both institutions learning from the experience,” she further stated.

Professor Nabobo-Baba also highlighted that the MoU extended beyond student attachments, providing a framework for broader institutional collaboration in areas critical to Fiji’s economic and social development.

“It also provides for cooperation in policy research, capacity building, economic planning, monitoring and evaluation, statistics, data analysis and professional development. FNU has an important responsibility to Fiji and its people. We will continue to do our part through the education we provide, the research we undertake and the graduates we prepare to serve this country,” she further stated.

The partnership reinforces FNU’s commitment to producing work ready graduates while strengthening links between academic learning, research and national development.

ENDS