For the first time in history, the Government has taken the initiative to fund an action plan to combat the effect of climate change in Fiji and has invested $2 million to support the partnership between Monash University and the Fiji National University.
While handing over the fund today, the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Steve Chand says the action plan is aimed to combat the effects of climate change that threatens the existence of all Fijians and its ecosystem.
Chand says it is imperative that we recognise the significance of the fund as it is composed of hard-earned taxpayers’ money.
He says the allocated grant is a crucial step that lies in aligning the operational strategies and policies that our country needs.
While receiving the grant, the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University, Professor Simon Wilkie says the work that is going to be done here in Fiji is really going to be momentous to have an immensely positive and lasting impact on the Fijian people and provide a beacon to the rest of the world.
Professor Wilkie says what they have proposed for this joint partnership with FNU and by the Fijian Government is basically a three-legged stool.
He says the three-legged stools consist of research projects that come from an agency of the Fijian government in Fiji and stakeholders who are facing a real policy dilemma.
The Professor adds that this is something where the academics of Monash University can make some contribution and something they can jointly Co-develop the research and use it as a learning programme.
