Quality of education UniFiji offers is already internationally recognized despite resource challenges – UniFiji

The University of Fiji has accepted the Higher Education Commission review team’s findings that it was insufficiently funded and resourced compared to the others, however, the quality of education UniFiji offers is already internationally recognized despite resource challenges.

The review was conducted by a consultancy group chaired by Professor Paresh Narayan of Monash University.

Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem says that after months of delay with dissemination of the report for the University’s right of response, she had received it and had analysed the contents and recommendations carefully.

Professor Shameem says she has now discussed the report with the Pro-Chancellor, Bhuwan Dutt and despite many of their concerns regarding the surrounding circumstances of the review that she has already conveyed to the Minister of Education, they have decided in good faith to implement the Review Committee's recommendations fully.

Professor Shameem says that the three Universities including UniFiji, the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji National University, were reviewed simultaneously, however, the UniFiji part of the report was released to her only recently for its response to the findings.

She says she is not sure whether the other two universities have now also received their reports as all the universities should have been given the opportunity to respond to their own parts.

Professor Shameem says her initial reaction to the report sent to her was one of disappointment as it had not been edited and, at one point, the University of Fiji was mistakenly referred to as the University of ‘Florida’.

She says this indicates that the review team might not have spent too much time on the report to properly edit and proof-read it prior to release.

Another issue that UniFiji had with the process was the composition of the review team which did not fully accord with the legislative requirements for appointments for higher education institutional review.

The Vice Chancellor says in future, the Higher Education Commission needs to ensure that external review team members are qualified and experienced in higher educational administration and teaching, as the Higher Education Act requires, to be able to conduct a comprehensive review.

Professor Shameem says the UniFiji is a global Quality Assurance Agency listed institution and so the external team were bound to take that into account to help them focus on quality.

She further says the University is now planning to implement recommendations which include improving the infrastructure, updating laboratories, providing robust IT services, establishing a stronger research and publications profile and minimising new programme approval delays.

The review team praised the University’s focus on its Strategic Plan 2022-2026, its stable leadership which was supported by both staff and students, and its notable strengths in allowing students to focus on practical skills and innovation from first year in the Medical and Law Schools.

The review team further complimented the UniFiji on its strong contribution to national development discussions and leadership despite resource limitations.

Professor Shameem says that after receiving the report the University had a choice whether or not to accept the findings, especially when several of them were not verified or substantiated.

However, she says that UniFiji had decided to implement the recommendations as fully as possible in good faith despite the weaknesses in the report.

She says one or two recommendations were beyond the power of the University to fix, for example those related to capital funding.