The Parliament will debate the Fiji National Amendment Bill tomorrow, which seeks to reassign the university from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics.
While tabling the Bill under Parliamentary Standing Order 51, Rabuka says the proposed amendment is intended to strengthen the coordination and linkage between Fiji's development priorities and critical sectors across the economy.
He says such sectors include, but are not limited to, health, education, employment and infrastructure, to name a few.
Rabuka says the amendment to the Bill will strengthen the legal foundation necessary to ensure all relevant government processes are adequately aligned with the evolving strategic mandate of the university and that the broader development aspirations of our great nation.
The Prime Minister stresses the academic mission of the university will not be undermined or diluted through this amendment.
He says these amendments are give key to the governance and accountability frameworks that protect that mission by ensuring that our academic integrity is not only upheld, but is continuously reinforced against external pressures.
While acknowledging the support of the Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro towards this initiative, Rabuka reiterates that the Ministry of Education remains a critical partner towards this change, serving as a preliminary step into the nation's human capital development pipeline.
He also commended the significant work undertaken by the university's board, senior management and staff who continue to elevate institutional integrity and academic quality to its highest standard for the benefit of all the students.
