FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba and Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Waterways, Dr Andrew Tukana signed the MoU.

The Fiji National University (FNU) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways strengthened their partnership yesterday, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Ministry’s headquarters in Raiwaqa.

The Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Honourable Tomasi Tunabuna, said the partnership would bring together the Ministry’s practical experience and FNU’s teaching and research, to better prepare students, and support Fiji’s agricultural sector.

Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Honourable Mr Tomasi Tunabuna shared the keynote address.

“One of the key strengths of this MOU is that it seeks to bridge the gap between the classroom, the research environment, and the field. Through industrial attachments, student research, training programmes, joint lectures, symposiums, technical assistance and the exchange of expertise, our students will have greater opportunities to learn directly from the realities and challenges facing Fiji’s agriculture sector,” Honourable Mr Tunabuna said.

He added that the Ministry’s experience working with farmers, managing livestock and agricultural programmes, responding to climate and environmental challenges, and putting policies into practice would add real value to FNU’s teaching and training.

“Bringing this practical expertise into your classrooms will help produce graduates who are not only academically qualified, but also work-ready, innovative and responsive to the real needs of Fiji’s agricultural sector,” the Minister said.

Honourable Tunabuna also stated that the partnership also comes at a time, when Fiji’s agriculture sector is facing growing challenges and needs stronger investment in research, innovation and technology.

“If we are serious about transforming agriculture, we must strengthen our investment in research, innovation, technology and evidence-based decision-making. Agriculture faces increasingly complex challenges, including climate variability, extreme weather events, land and soil degradation, emerging pests and diseases, changing market conditions, labour constraints, and the need to enhance productivity while sustainably managing natural resources,” he further highlighted.

The Minister also added that the partnership would give students across Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Diploma, Degree and Postgraduate levels opportunities to gain practical experience and develop skills that respond to Fiji’s agricultural priorities.

“The future of Fiji’s agricultural sector depends on the young people we are educating and training today. Agriculture training is a “life-long skills training”.

“This partnership will equip students across Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate, and Master’s levels with opportunities aligned with Fiji’s national agricultural priorities, while developing a skilled, innovative, and future-ready workforce capable of advancing agriculture through science, technology, agribusiness, engineering, research, entrepreneurship, digital agriculture, and leadership,” reiterated Honourable Tunabuna.

Fiji National University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba delivered her remarks.

FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, said the University was pleased to begin working more closely with the Ministry and recognised agriculture as central to Fiji’s food and nutrition security.

“FNU is ready to play our part. We are committed to working with the Ministry because we believe that whatever we do together will be additive. This MoU also reinforces the fact that agriculture remains central to Fiji’s food and nutrition security,” Professor Nabobo-Baba said.

The Vice-Chancellor added that one of the biggest opportunities from the partnership was bringing the Ministry’s practical experience into FNU’s classrooms and research.

“This partnership will ensure that the Ministry’s experience in agriculture is brought into our classrooms and research. Today, we are saying that we will work more closely with you. We will look at your Ministry’s goals and priorities and ensure that our work at FNU aligns with them,” she further stated.

Professor Nabobo-Baba said that FNU also needed the Ministry’s practical knowledge to strengthen research being carried out by the University’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF).

In addition, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the importance of ensuring that research and education make a difference where it matters most, which is in the communities.

“A school garden is not just simply a place where vegetables are grown. It is a learning space where children begin to understand agriculture, nutrition, responsibility and caring for the land. People must know that we are doing something because their gardens are better, their crops are better, and their villages have more than one breadfruit tree,” Professor Nabobo-Baba reiterated.

For FNU, the partnership is an opportunity to bring learning and practical experience closer together and to ensure that research responds to the needs of farmers and communities. Professor Nabobo-Baba said this kind of cooperation would be important for Fiji’s future.

“Fiji needs a strong national platform and an understanding that national development and agriculture, depend on all of us working together,” the Vice-Chancellor elaborated.

The new partnership creates opportunities for FNU and the Ministry to work together across teaching, research, training and innovation, while giving students greater exposure to the realities of agriculture, and helping turn knowledge into practical benefits for Fiji’s farmers and communities.

ENDS