Inspired by his lecturers from the Fiji National University (FNU), Atinesh Prasad has returned to share his expertise and experience with his alma mater.
The Assistant Project Manager of Hiway Stabilizers (Fiji) Ltd recently joined FNU’s College of Engineering, Science and Technology (CEST) as a Part-Time Assistant Instructor. Prasad takes two classes per week on Highway Engineering for the Trade Diploma in Civil Engineering programme.
“My day starts at 6am when I leave home for work. I begin work at 7am and am back home by 6pm. This is my normal routine except for the two days I take classes at FNU in the evening – I finish my day at 9pm on those days. On other days, I spend a significant amount of my spare time in preparing my lectures and assessments or correcting submissions.”
Prasad comes from a family of trade specialists.
“My father is a Carpenter while my brother is a Joiner by profession. I was always interested in what they did, and it was my brother who encouraged me to take up Civil Engineering. It didn’t take me long to see that there was demand for these skills in the labour market, and this pushed me to learn more,” said Prasad.
Staying true to his interest in engineering, Prasad enrolled in the Trade Diploma in Civil Engineering programme at FNU’s CEST after completing his high school studies.
At graduation, he was not only awarded his Diploma but a Gold Medal as well. A Gold Medal is awarded to a graduate who has a Grade Point Average of at least 4.33 out of 5 and has been chosen by the Medal Award Sub–Committee from the list of nominees submitted by the Colleges.
“FNU helped me pursue my dream of being an Engineer. Studying at FNU also developed my leadership skills. I founded the Derrick Students’ Association and was the Vice-Chair of the Fiji National University Students’ Association (FNUSA) Steering Committee. This committee was responsible for the formation of the FNUSA. I also had the opportunity to represent the students in the FNU Council in 2012.”
Following the successful completion of his Trade Diploma, Prasad enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering–Civil programme. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in 2016.
Prasad’s interest in the field led him to start his career while completing his undergraduate studies. He secured his first job with Fulton Hogan Hiways JV as a Cadet Engineer while in his final year of pursuing a Bachelors degree. As his career progressed over the years, his desire to learn more in the field did too.
“FNU’s undergraduate programme had provided me with the essential knowledge and hands-on experience in the field. It also made me curious to learn more in my field.”
In early 2019, the FNU Gold medalist moved to New Zealand to pursue further studies at the University of Auckland. He returned to Fiji upon completion of the Master of Engineering Management programme having graduated with 1st Class Honors in late 2019.
Prasad’s work at Hiway Stablizers Fiji Limited involves managing quality assurance; and, health, safety and environment management system within the firm. He also looks after cost estimation and compilation of tenders along with monitoring ongoing projects, particularly from a cost management perspective. He also prepares project progress reports and claims.
Work-life for Prasad has been as adventurous as he had envisioned while admiring his father and brother’s skills, even before pursuing a career in Engineering.
“No two days are ever the same. There is never a trend or routine in my work. There’s always a new challenge or task for me to complete. This is what I like. I never liked doing things on repeat mode as it eventually tends to get boring.”
Reminiscing his life as a student at FNU, Prasad urges students to do something good that would be remembered by others even when they are not there.
“Life at university is not only about getting a certificate; you need to enjoy the journey and explore new things,” he shared.
Prasad is currently working on a conference paper on “Reviewing the Capital Road Projects in Fiji against Cost and Duration from a Project Management Perspective”.