FNU students Sharti Shayal Mala and Manshil Pranesh Prasad after winning the Youth Leadership Contest by the India-Fiji Friendship Forum.

Fiji National University (FNU) has set a record by winning the inaugural Youth Leadership Contest by the India-Fiji Friendship Forum at the FNU Campus in Nasinu.

In a closely contested match, the FNU team contested against three teams from the University of the South Pacific (USP). FNU Team C won with a score of 722, while USP Team A concluded with 471 points.

Sharti Shayal Mala, a 19-year-old first-year student at FNU’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, dedicated the victory to Professor Lyn Karstadt, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of FNU, who was present during the quiz session to witness the historic win.

“This is a tremendous triumph for us, and we dedicate it to our Vice-Chancellor, who was on hand to witness the victory.  Her presence inspired us to compete and give our all because we were not only representing ourselves, but the entire FNU family,” Mala stated proudly.

“We were behind Team USP A on points after round one of the final, but we were determined to battle until the last question of the round.”

“I thank all of our colleagues who were present in the hall to encourage and cheer us on, as well as the Fiji National University Student Association for believing in us and giving us the opportunity. Finally, our families for encouraging us all the way from Nadi and the IFFF for bringing up this quiz contest for students.”

Manshil Pranesh Prasad, 20, a second-year Bachelor of Nursing student, expressed his delight upon winning.

“It was a highly stressful situation for us, but our team combination helped us win.” “We were fast to discuss and respond to the questions because of our compatibility, since Sharti and I are siblings. It was a very proud moment for us to win against three teams from USP,” he explained.

FNU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lyn Karstadt (left) officially receiving the trophy from the Fiji National University Student Association President Ketan Lal.

FNU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lyn Karstadt commended the team on their accomplishment.

“Both of them deserve full credit for achieving well in the competition, which has also set the standard for future teams,” she said.

“FNU will continue to improve learning and teaching by incorporating worldwide best practices in pedagogy and evaluation, strengthening our delivery, and maximising the benefits of digital technology.”

“Our students are the primary reason we exist, and it is our responsibility to offer them the finest possible experience that allows them to develop personally, morally, spiritually, and intellectually, as well as thrive, study, question, and flourish as global citizens.”

Ketan Lal, President of the Fiji National University Student Association (FNUSA), also congratulated the winning team.

“I am overjoyed with our students’ achievements, and I hope that it will inspire other students on FNU campuses to participate in similar initiatives. This is all part of self-development, and FNUSA will do everything in its power to make learning more exciting for students and improve their learning experience at FNU,” Lal stated.

“The FNU Team was mentored and guided by the FNUSA student leaders, who prepared the team for the competition.”

The mission of Fiji National University is to serve the people, economy, and society of Fiji and the Pacific region by providing education and training for employability, with an excellent student experience; conducting research with real-world impact, aligned with national priorities, and of global relevance; engaging proactively with stakeholders in our communities, nation, and region; and demonstrating leadership in sustainability.

TVET studies are deeply ingrained in the foundations of FNU, and student can study through one of 4,600 placements offered by the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service (TSLS).
Students eligible for TSLS-funded studies must have successfully completed Year 12 or secured a final offer letter for any Certificate Level III, IV or Diploma level 5 programmes offered at FNU.

The Fiji National University is now accepting applications for Semester 1, 2023. For enquiries, students can visit our website at www.fnu.ac.fj  or email the Academic Team via admission@fnu.ac.fj or Text (Toll-Free) 857 for Vodafone and Inkk users.