FNU’s College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies students during their class.

The Fiji National University’s (FNU) Namaka and Nasinu Campuses have been listed as ‘Affiliated Academic Institutions’ under the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), which is based in Canberra, Australia.

INCU is an international not-for-profit organisation of over 200 members and affiliates, which aims to raise the academic profile of the Customs profession through the development and promotion of educational programs, providing academic and applied research and intellectual input to strategic decision making.

Head of Department for Economics and Customs, Rusi Vakaloloma said this was a significant accomplishment for FNU’s Certificate IV in Customs and Trade Diploma in Customs programmes offered by the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies (CBHTS).

The senior academic said the achievement has paved the way for further Customs programme development and has created opportunities for international accreditation of existing and new programmes.

“We are in the process of developing new undergraduate courses for a double major programme in Customs. We plan to launch the Bachelor of Customs programme by 2023,” said Vakaloloma.

“The team was working closely with the Industry Advisory Committee Customs Working Group to revise the current and develop new courses but this has been halted due to the COVID-19 and we will resume work on this when it is practical to do so. We wish to acknowledge the IAC Customs working group which involved Mr Ronald Dass from the Customs Brokers & Forwarders Council of Fiji, Captain Tevita Robanakadavu from the Fiji Maritime Academy (FMA) and members of the FRCS team.”

“After the successful launch of new programmes, the University intends to seek recognition and accreditation from the World Customs Organisation (WCO) using the Picard standard through our affiliation with INCU and with the Center for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES) in Canberra.”

Vakaloloma also attributed this noteworthy achievement to the four academic staff teaching the Customs programmes.

“Our staff are qualified and have extensive industry experience that contributed to this affiliation.”

“I would like to acknowledge the Customs Assistant Lecturer Watisoni Rauicava for spearheading the new programme development. Other staff in the department includes Rajit Sen, Sheenal Shivani and Joseph Hill Mauitoga have also contributed significantly to this milestone.”

“The success of the Customs programmes is on the shoulders of these inspiring individuals, who have also motivated other staff to perform better in their areas of expertise. I would like to acknowledge their commitment to enhancing the programme content and delivery,” Vakaloloma added.

FNU’s Trade Diploma in Customs was developed to meet the requirements of the market and the industry. The Fiji Revenue and Customs Services, Customs Agents, Importers and Exporters all require their staff to know the core aspects of Customs. It is the primary objective of this programme to ensure those entering these organisations do get these kinds of training.

The minimum entry requirement is a Completion of Fiji  Year 12  Certificate Examination or Fiji Year 12 Annual Exam/Assessment with a pass in English or 12 years of education with continuous progression, or equivalent or applicants who do not meet the requirement based on the years of continuous education progression, but who can demonstrate their ability to succeed in the programme at this level based on their maturity, work experience or prior learning and are 17 years of age, may also be admitted to the programme.

While the Certificate IV in Customs programme aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory aspects of the customs domain including the international background of customs procedures. The graduates will be able to: ensure the safety and security of citizens, protect the financial interest of the Community course and the Member States, protect the Community course from unfair and illegal trade while facilitating legitimate trade, Increase the competitiveness of the business using modern working methods in an easily accessible electronic environment.

The minimum entry requirement is a completion of Fiji  Year 12  Certificate Examination or Fiji Year 12 Annual Exam/Assessment with a pass in English or 12 years of education with continuous progression, or equivalent or applicants who do not meet the requirement based on the years of continuous education progression, but who can demonstrate their ability to succeed in the programme at this level based on their maturity, work experience or prior learning and are 17 years of age, may also be admitted to the programme.

Admission for Semester 1, Quarter 1 and Trimester 1, 2022 is currently underway and interested students can apply via 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 information on admission.