FNU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lyn Karstadt delivering her speech at the FNU Australia Awards and Pacific Scholarships (AAPS) Awardees Briefing and Social Event.
The Fiji National University (FNU) is committed to providing a welcoming, encouraging, empowering and inclusive environment for all students to ensure equal access, full participation, and reasonable accommodations for their academic pursuits.
FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lyn Karstadt made these comments while addressing students at the FNU Australia Awards and Pacific Scholarships (AAPS) Awardees Briefing and Social Event.
The event was an opportunity for the FNU and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) representatives to check in on AAPS awardees and their welfare, progress toward final exams and brief them on changes to the student management arrangements.
The awardees also socialised with other awardees, members of FNU’s Senior Leadership team, FNU staff, and DFAT representatives.
“As Vice-Chancellor, I have an open door, and I have met so many students and gotten to know them over the past few months,” Prof Karstadt said.
“Similarly, the staff here are your friends and allies for the next four years, and they will be there for you now and after you leave university. We are a caring university founded on values, and we will continue to be with you every step of this student journey.”
“We are delighted to have you as part of our family. Everyone knows everyone here, and we take care of each other as families do. You have come from different backgrounds to FNU, which is good because you are at an advantage to reap the benefits of diversity and different cultural experiences at FNU.”
DFAT Development Cooperation Counsellor, Joanna Houghton said Australia remains deeply committed to building a strong Pacific family.
Houghton said the nation’s investment in education and employment pathways in the region was a long-standing objective of its aid programme.
“The Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships program is very popular amongst regional countries as the courses offered under this scholarship are tailored to suit the Pacific context and delivered in a Pacific setting,” she added.
“Australia and FNU’s proud history has endured many changes and transitions. The most recent is FNU’s assumption of on-award student management. What this means is that FNU has assumed responsibility for all DFAT-sponsored FNU AAPS awardees, including those that used to be managed by our DFAT Suva Office.”
FNU’s management of AAPS awardees includes activities such as administration of placement offers and procedures, preparation of awardees, management of awardees’ academic programs, academic monitoring and support, disability support, administration of scholarship extensions, variations and terminations, welfare incidents and critical incidents, travel, accommodation, medical care and including other activities as well.