FNU and KOICA strengthen partnership

Press Release Posted On: August 13, 2020
KOICA & FNU Agreement

KOICA Country Director, Ji Hi Kim (4th from left), FNU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching Professor James Pounder with the staff of KOICA and FNU.

Fiji National University (FNU) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a partnership today that will provide a framework for the placement of World Friends Korea (WFK) volunteers in various programmes offered by FNU.

Speaking at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony, FNU’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching Professor James Pounder said this collaboration will enhance FNU’s capacity for programme delivery in various campuses around Fiji.

Professor Pounder said FNU is pleased with this generous volunteer arrangement from KOICA which will greatly assist FNU at the TVET level in particular.

“It is wonderful to have a body like KOICA, which is prepared to offer volunteer resources, especially during times like this where we aren’t able to recruit as many additional staff as we would like. We appreciate this collaboration with KOICA,” commented Professor Pounder.

The professional expertise and skills of the WFK volunteers will be identified by the University and they will be placed accordingly.

“The KOICA-FNU partnership was established last year when the then TCF submitted a request for volunteers in various fields,” said the senior academic.

MoU Signing

KOICA Country Director, Ji Hi Kim and FNU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching while signing the MoU today.

FNU hopes to expand this partnership in other areas in the future, added Professor Pounder.

KOICA Country Director, Ji Hi Kim said they were happy to have advanced their partnership with FNU.

“We are happy to collaborate with FNU and share our expertise. There are many other potential areas that we can work together on and so we will start with this volunteer programme and expand our partnership in future.”

She believes that volunteers are the easiest and fastest way for the two organisations to collaborate and that KOICA will commence work on this when the travel restrictions are lifted.

Based on FNU requests and direction,  KOICA will recruit, train and dispatch the volunteers to the respective campuses when travel restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, an e-volunteer system will be developed and trialled.