Nazreen Bano holds a lifelong passion for giving back to the community and follows her mother’s dream by becoming a Fiji National University (FNU) graduate and beginning a career as a Dietician in 2009.

The Supervisory Dietician at Taveuni Medical Subdivision attained her Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition in 2005 from the then Fiji School of Medicine which is now part of the FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS). In 2013, Bano completed Bachelor in Dietetics and Nutrition bridging programme and she is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition.

“My mother has always been interested in health and wellness, so she was my first motivation and during high school, I also developed an interest in nutrition. I wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle and enhance people’s diets while also assisting them in maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening their immune system, increasing their energy levels, and lowering their chance of getting illnesses,” said Bano.

“I chose to study at the Fiji National University (FNU) because it is the only institution that continues to strive towards excellence in the training and education of health professionals who are now serving in key positions in the Pacific and overseas.”

Originally from Korowiri Labasa, Bano mentioned that working, learning and family commitment has never been too easy to adjust however she acknowledged FNU’s efforts towards providing online courses through its online virtual platform which made distance and flexible learning easier and convenient for her.

The 36-year-old added that she will be able to make a significant impact at the global, national, community, and individual levels with the new knowledge and abilities upon completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition programme.

“Human nutrition is significant to everyone and I would like to encourage individuals to adopt to healthier lives and promote equal access to health care and health systems in order to prevent sickness and illness in their communities,” mentioned the FNU alumna.

Bano also stated that through the Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition she was able to learn about the biological, social and policy-related aspects of human nutrition along with skills to evaluate the findings of human studies and undertaking research.

“I would like to encourage others to enrol in this programme since it helps to develop and advance understanding of the role of nutrition and diet. It will aid in the exploration of nutritionists’ critical role in public health and the development of sustainable global food systems, the discussion of current evidence-based research, trends, and developments in the field of nutrition, as well as the recognition of the importance of providing the public with safe and credible nutrition information.”

Admission for Semester 1, Quarter 1 and Trimester 1, 2022 is currently underway and interested students can apply via the Admission Application portal on the FNU website. Click on https://www.fnu.ac.fj/study/apply/ to apply.

Prospective students can also text on 857 or email on admission@fnu.ac.fj if they face difficulties completing the process online or need further admission information.